Mother's Day Fortnight Sees Bespoke Card Created for Mum Every Second
According to data from Moonpig, the UK's largest online card retailer, a bespoke card is crafted for a mum every single second during the 'Mother's Day fortnight'. This period highlights a significant surge in card-sending, with 85 per cent more cards dispatched for Mother's Day compared to Valentine's Day. Additionally, flower deliveries to mothers are two-and-a-half times higher than those to romantic partners.
Mums as Key Drivers of the Gift Economy
Mums' influence extends beyond receiving gestures; they are pivotal in the UK's gift economy. Research commissioned by Moonpig, involving 2,000 adults, found that mums send an average of 13 cards and 15 gifts to loved ones each year. This translates to a staggering 346 million cards and 395 million gifts nationwide. Notably, more than a quarter of these purchases—27 per cent of cards and 29 per cent of gifts—are bought by mums on behalf of others, underscoring their role in fostering appreciation within families and social circles.
Rachael Halliday, spokesperson for Moonpig, commented: "It's clear mums are the biggest drivers of the UK's gift economy. Beyond their personal efforts, they connect families and friends, ensuring special occasions from birthdays to anniversaries are celebrated meaningfully. This 'love burden' is reciprocated, as people show more appreciation to mums than to anyone else in their lives."
Expanding Definitions of Motherhood
The concept of motherhood is evolving, with step mums, godmothers, and even pet mums featuring prominently in Moonpig's order data. Supporting this trend, the research indicates that 22 per cent of respondents increasingly rely on a broader network of maternal figures. This network includes:
- Mothers-in-law (16 per cent)
- Grandmas (10 per cent)
- Unrelated 'aunties' (6 per cent)
- Work mentors (5 per cent)
- The mum of the friendship group (4 per cent)
These figures fulfill specific roles, as only 14 per cent of women feel comfortable discussing dating intricacies with their biological mums. Instead, many turn to trusted figures like work mums (27 per cent) or unrelated 'aunties' (17 per cent) for such conversations.
Popular Gifts and Last-Minute Trends
Chocolate emerges as the most commonly gifted item annually, with 41 tonnes sent—equivalent to the weight of a blue whale. Half of this amount is delivered to mums specifically for Mother's Day. Despite the evident appreciation, Moonpig's data reveals that a quarter of card buyers procrastinate, making purchases within the final 48 hours before Mother's Day. Furthermore, 11 times more 'sorry' cards are sent to mums in March than in any other month, highlighting occasional forgetfulness.
Valued Traits in Maternal Figures
The research also identified the most valued traits in mother figures, emphasizing their multifaceted roles in providing support and stability. Key attributes include:
- Great listener
- A calming presence
- Shoulder to cry on
- Calm in a crisis
- Voice of reason
- Emotional rock
- Immediately trustworthy
- Nurturer
- Protector of the people they love
- Problem-solver
- First port of call in an emergency
- Expert advice giver
- Fountain of wisdom
- Peacemaker / mediator of a group
- Confidence builder
- The glue that holds a group together
- Inclusive caregiver
- Champion of everyone's successes
- Wellbeing expert
- Retainer of information and details about people
Halliday added: "Our data reflects the evolving nature of motherhood in the UK. We strive to help people express love to every type of mum through personalised cards, thoughtful gifts, or flowers. These tokens are vital for maintaining connections, especially when physical presence isn't possible."
