Life News
UK Mother's Day: vases up 200% at Waitrose, but how big is the market really?
Britain celebrates Mother's Day, or Mothering Sunday, on 15 March this year, and retailers reported a rush. The Grocer said Waitrose sales of Mother's Day gifts rose 41% year on year in the past week, gift cards 57% and candles 24%, while demand for its Essential vases rose nearly 200%. The Co-op expects to sell 300,000 extra bouquets over four days and estimated UK consumer spending at £260 million. It put the average Mother's Day spend at £46, against £53 for Valentine's Day, with the highest average, £70.21, in Newcastle.
“they are still such an effective and affordable way to spoil our mums” — Nicky Proudlock, Co-op flower buyer, via The Grocer
IT Brief UK reported on 10 March on data from the gifting marketplace Flowwow, which estimates about £2.4 billion of Mother's Day spending, part of £6.9 billion across Valentine's Day, Mother's Day and Easter. Flowers made up 86% of Mother's Day orders on the platform, custom bento cake orders rose 79%, and the average basket fell 30% to £83.
How each outlet framed it
- The Grocer — the supermarket aisle: which products are selling and how chains stock up on flowers.
- IT Brief UK — the gifting season: three occasions in about 10 weeks squeezing florists and bakers, and a shift towards small local sellers.
Where the numbers differ: The Co-op's £260 million and Flowwow's £2.4 billion are nearly ten times apart. IT Brief also gives a separate £1.67 billion for the UK Mother's Day gifting market without explaining the gap. Each figure covers a different scope, so there is no single agreed total.