As pandemic restrictions continue to ease, forecasts for Mother’s Day predict significant spending, giving brands ample opportunity for promos, products and in-person events.
But factors that might cause some marketers to tread lightly this year include COVID-related deaths of parents and other sensitivities around the holiday. This has prompted some brands to allow consumers to opt out of marketing such as promotional emails—a strategy that gained traction last year.
The holiday is also complicated by calls to boycott Mother’s Day to protest a possible move by the Supreme Court to strike down the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling on abortion rights, which came to light earlier this week via a leaked draft of a decision. “Stop shopping. Don’t go to work. Don’t interact with the economy in any way. Keep all transactions to zero,” states a website called mothersdaystrike.com launched by activist Allison Kolarik.
It’s too early to tell how such movements will affect spending. Before protest calls gained steam, research firm Numerator on Tuesday published a report projecting that 89% of consumers plan to celebrate Mother’s Day. It stated that roughly nine in 10 Mother’s Day celebrators planned to purchase something for the holiday, with categories including cards (52%), food (45%), and flowers (44%). The report suggested consumers were more concerned this year about inflation than pandemic concerns.