As Valentine's Day sales begin to dwindle, that's when New England small business owners start thinking about Mom.
Mother's Day, which happens on the second Sunday of May, is second only to Christmas in terms of holiday spending. Last year, Boston area consumers spent more than $396-million celebrating the women in their lives. That number is expected to grow again in 2020.
To claim a significant share of this Mother's Day cash, local retailers and restaurants will need to advertise. By almost every key metric, advertising on Boston radio is the best choice.
According to the National Retail Federation, men spend, on average, $237 each celebrate the moms in their life. This is 50% more than will be spent by women.
Each week, Boston radio reaches 90.3% of all adult men. This is substantially more than are reached by local TV, newspaper, social media, or streaming audio sites like Pandora and Spotify.
In addition to gender, age is a significant factor among New England Mother's Day shoppers. According to the NRF, consumers between the ages of 35 and 44 will each spend $248 on Mom, 26% higher than the average expenditure.
Boston radio reaches 94.6% of all local consumers in the 35-44 year old demographic. No other local advertising medium comes close.
Mother's Day was proclaimed an official holiday in the United States in 1914 by President Woodrow Wilson. It was the culmination of a concerted effort by Anna Jarvis, who felt that most American holidays were biased toward male achievements. She believed there should be a special day honoring motherhood.
Despite Ms. Jarvis's concern that Mother's Day should avoid commercialization, the holiday now ranks second in terms of consumer spending. This is especially true in Boston.
Between now and the second Sunday of May, here's how Boston area consumers will spend their money honoring the moms in their lives:
- Greeting Cards: $13,300,000
- Flowers: $41,200,000
- Gift Cards/Certificates: $72,900,000
- Clothing: $41,200,000
- Jewelry: $82,400,000
- Personal Services: $31,700,000
- Housewares/Garden Tools: $17,400,000
- Books/CDs: $8,600,000
- Consumer Electronics: $34,800,000
- Other: $15,000,000
Then there are restaurants.
According to the National Restaurant Association, Mother's Day is the biggest dining-out holiday of the year. Boston area restaurant owners are expecting to feed more than 1,300,000 adults that day, with total sales of $53,900,000.
Restaurant visits on Mother's Day will be spread across four distinct meals. In the Boston area, here's how consumers will be dining-out:
For New England small business owners planning to advertise for Mother's Day, now is the time to get out ahead of consumer spending.
Based on estimates from the NRF, here is how much money Boston area consumers will be spending leading up to the second Sunday of May.
More Great Advice For Boston Small Business Owners
- Smart Speakers: What Boston Consumers Are Listening To
- Best Way To Advertise Insurance Products In Boston
- Advertising In Boston: 3 Steps For Choosing The Best Radio Stations
- Small Business Advice: Home Improvement Advertising In Boston
- Advertise In Boston: Reaching Furniture Shoppers
- The Value Of Advertising On Boston Radio At Night
- Advertising In Boston: How To Reach Moms
