Mother's Day spending on the rise

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Mother's should prepare to be showered with gifts this year for Mother's Day as many consumers plan to increase their spending, according to a survey released Tuesday by the National Retail Federation.

The survey, conducted by BIGresearch, said consumers plan spend nearly $16 billion in total, with the average shopper forking out $139.14 on a Mother's Day gift, up from an average of $122.16 spent last year.

Mothers will be treated to various gifts as consumers are projected to spend $3.1 billion in total on a special dinner or brunch at their mother's favorite restaurant (61 percent), $2.3 billion on flowers (72.4 percent), $2.1 billion on jewelry (32.8 percent), and $1.6 billion on clothes and accessories (37 percent).

According to the trade group, nearly 38 percent of gifts will be purchased at a specialty store, such as a florist, jeweler or electronics store. Twenty-nine percent of shoppers will buy a gift from a department store, while 24 percent plan to go to a discount store, and nearly 3 percent will order from a catalog.

Consumers planning to avoid stores and catalogs altogether will turn to the Internet. Online shopping for mothers will see an increase of 20 percent, up from the nearly 17 percent of shoppers who surfed the Web for a gift in 2006.

"For mom, it's the thought that counts," Tracy Mullin, NRF President and CEO, said in a statement. "As people find more creative ways to treat the women in their lives to something special, retailers of all types and sizes stand to benefit from Mother's Day."

Other popular gifts shoppers plan to buy include greeting cards (86.8 percent), gift certificates (39.3 percent), books or CDs (29.3 percent), housewares or gardening tools (18.5 percent) and consumer electronics or computer related accessories (11.3 percent).

Another popular gift that has increase in recent years is pampering mothers at a spa or beauty salon. Nearly 20 percent of consumers plan on treating their mother with rest and relaxation, spending $1.3 billion in total. Last year, less than 15 percent purchased a personal service type of gift for their mother.

Of the consumers buying Mother's Day gifts, men plan to spend the most with the average male shopper planning to spend $172.91, compared to women's estimated $107.18.

"Although it's hard to measure our love for mom, consumers continue to spend on special, one-of-a-kind gifts for her," Phil Rist, Vice President of Strategy at BIGresearch, said in a statement.