5 ways to boost sales on Mother’s Day
Last year, Australians spent $750 million on Mother’s Day. Here’s how to tap into the mother of all retail opportunities.
All around the country, women are dropping subtle (and not so subtle) hints, and partners and children are making Mother’s Day plans.
For shoppers, Mother’s Day is an opportunity to show their mums (or the mother figures in their lives) how much they’re loved and appreciated. For retailers, it’s a highly lucrative sales moment on the marketing calendar – last year, Australian consumers spent more than $750 million on Mother’s Day gifts and celebrations.
And, according to exclusive research from Afterpay, customer retail spend was up a whopping 25.3 per cent in 2022 compared to the previous year, which sets the scene for a bumper 2023.
Here’s a glimpse into what shoppers were buying last year, followed by our tips for getting the most out of May 14's retail moment.
What will consumers be searching for? Last year’s top product purchases were:
Bracelets
Winter sweatshirts/jumpers
Charm bracelets
The Lady Shake
Jeans
Activewear
Make-up
Skincare
Perfume
Time your marketing right
Leave shoppers plenty of time to make their purchasing decisions by promoting your Mother’s Day offers early. Data from Google Trends shows that searches for gift ideas start rising about a month before Mother’s Day and peak during the week leading up to the day itself.
“Start [marketing] a month out, particularly if you’re an online business as you need to make sure you manage people’s expectations around cut-off delivery dates,” says retail expert Sally Coates of The Retail Mentors. “You also need to give people the time to be able to think it through and have those conversations, which usually happen between the other parent and the children, at home.”
But don’t neglect last-minute shoppers, either, by offering click-and-collect services, free Express Post, social media reminders and EDMs to your email list.
Heard of the “thoughtful marketing movement”?
Mother’s Day isn’t a joyful celebration for everyone – and marketing emails have the power to hit someone where it hurts. The ‘thoughtful marketing movement’ encourages retailers to offer consumers the opportunity to opt out of Mother’s Day marketing messages using email preferences. This proactive approach isn’t just considerate – it can stop customers from unsubscribing altogether.
Offer excellent value
While cost of living might be top of mind for a lot of people, 94 per cent of Australian shoppers are planning to spend the same or more than last year, according to a recent survey by Shopper.
“People are really price conscious at the moment, so you’ve got to be showing value to the person doing the purchasing – shoppers will be looking for excellent value for money,” says Coates.
For Mother's Day promotion ideas, instead of traditional sales, consider offering built-in discounts, like generous gifts with purchases over a certain amount (or with premium products with higher price points), “buy-one-get-one-for-less” options for those shopping for multiple women in their lives, free personalisations, and even gift vouchers with purchase – so shoppers can get a treat for themselves as well as for mum.
Bricks and mortar retailer?
Consider a creative in-store activation: think a VIP mother-daughter shopping night with canapés and Champagne (and plenty of Mother's Day gifts on display), or a wholesome make-grandma-a-card event for kids (perhaps with a discount for the pocket-money crowd).
"People are really price-conscious at the moment, so you have to show value."
Simplify shopping
Ninety per cent of people in the Shopper survey admitted that convenience is key when researching, selecting and purchasing gifts.
“You’ve got to make it simple,” says Coates. “I would look at theming items for different interests as a merchandising strategy in-store so that people aren’t overwhelmed and can find something easily.
“Creating categories, and even bundling items at a certain price point, makes the process simple and clear. And make it a one-stop shop: if you have an area for women who love to read, add themed gift bags and cards so shoppers can buy everything they need all at once – and you’ve just increased your sales.”
For online retailers, a Mother’s Day edit tab or vertical, as well as EDMs that pull together a curated collection of gifts for the “foodie”, “sporty”, “sustainably minded” and “luxe-loving” mother, for example, make adding to cart simple.
And never underestimate the power of free gift wrapping.
Prep staff
Don’t forget to train staff in the lead-up to Mother’s Day. Ensure that retail staff are up to speed with new products, and understand how to cross-sell or upsell (for example, suggesting cards, gift-wrapping or complementary products when customers come to purchase) and tips on how to use particular products. Consider holding a training session and offering role-playing, advice or sales scripts before Mother’s Day.
Go big on styling
Make sure you bring Mother’s Day into your branding and don’t forget visual merchandising: in-store, online and social media displays can be impactful and showcase your most desirable products.
“Window and in-store styling enables people to visualise something that they can’t see themselves, which could be an outfit or homewares.”
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