Mothering Sunday is steeped in history, marking the first Sunday in the lead-up to Easter and the day when Christians traditionally visited their 'mother church'. These days, Mother's Day is one of the most important dates in our cultural and social calendars: a day for the family to congregate and celebrate our amazing mums.
And it seems we certainly don't hold back when it comes to saying 'I love you' with gifts: according to research from Mintel, Brits splashed £500M+ for the big day last year. At Criteo, we've found that when it comes to choosing a present to spoil our mums, UK shoppers have diversified from the usual chocolates and flowers from a local supermarket or the petrol station at the end of the road.
You may think that glamourous items such as spa treatments, afternoon tea or high-end perfumes top the list as we celebrate our mothers. But in fact, almost ironically it's household appliances that help with tidying up that sees a spike in online purchases in the run-up to Mother's Day.
The humble vacuum cleaner tops the list according to Criteo's data, with laundry and kitchen appliances hot on its heels. These items were found to be the biggest contributor in terms of highest basket value and revenue per transaction. With spring now well and truly sprung, gardening tools also make an appearance as a popular gift. In fact, they're so popular that demand increases by 193% in the fortnight before Mothering Sunday. What's more Criteo data also found that 'washing machine' was the most searched for term in 2017, so far, which supports shoppers desire to get mum that all important household appliance - it's the thought that counts dad!
Thankfully, it is not just white goods that drive the most value for retailers ahead of Mother's Day, wine sales see an increase in sales with French and Italian reds soaring in popularity, showing we're still keen to indulge our mums on their big day.
But it's not just the gifts themselves which have evolved - the way we buy has too. More and more people are using multiple devices - smartphone, PC, tablet - as they research and buy presents. Our data found that a third (36%) of online transactions now take place across a variety of devices. Furthermore, over half of the UK's ecommerce transactions take place on a smartphone.
For retailers, knowing and anticipating how shoppers want to interact with their brand is crucial to ensure their online strategy can drive maximum sales. By providing a seamless, omnichannel experience for both desktop or smartphone, retailers can maximise revenue at this important time.
So whether we're planning to spoil our mums with household gifts or something a bit more glamorous, retailers who deliver a smooth, personalised shopping experience will bring a smile to Mum's face and maybe even get dad out of the doghouse.