Mother’s Day boost for retailers as UK shoppers forecast to splash out £18 billion in 2026

Retail spending for Mother’s Day is forecast to reach £18 billion in 2026 (representing 15% growth year on year) according to research from Savvy. This was carried out across a representative sample of 1,000 UK shoppers.

“65% of shoppers expect to celebrate Mother’s Day in 2026, rising sharply to 88% among households with children. This makes the occasion one of the most widely celebrated gifting events in the retail calendar - after Christmas and Easter,” says Savvy’s Insight Director, Alastair Lockhart. 

“A notable trend of recent years has been the continued shift towards celebrating at home. Our research shows seven in 10 shoppers expected to have a meal at home to celebrate Mother’s Day this year - driven by rising prices of eating and drinking out. Continued innovation in Mother’s Day meal deal offers from retailers is also driving the trend.” 

Food and drink retail sales look particularly well placed to benefit this year and premiumisation remains a clear theme, with 61% of shoppers saying they planned to buy more upscale food or drink for Mother’s Day (up from 51% in 2025) and 56% expected to spend more than they would on a typical gift occasion. 

Alcohol sales stand to benefit from both gifting momentum and at-home celebrations also. Non-alcoholic drinks are also likely to see strong performance as the low and no alcohol category continues to expand through innovation and new product development, including flavoured 0% beer. 

Selective premium gifting also appears set to perform strongly. The research analysis suggested beauty and jewellery are both expected to outperform as shoppers look for more considered or higher value gifts. Personalisation continues to resonate - 58% of shoppers expected to buy a customised gift this year. 

Chocolate, in contrast, could see slightly softer growth relative to other categories. While HFSS regulations are unlikely to significantly affect Mother’s Day purchasing, other factors may weigh on demand. Inflation continues to shape spending decisions, while the increasing use of GLP-1 medications could also moderate demand for confectionery in some households. 

Retailers appear to be performing well when it comes to providing gift ideas. 65% of UK shoppers said that Mother’s Day ranges in shops feels inspiring. However, there remains further opportunity to unlock additional spending – 63% of shoppers said they would spend more if there were more interesting gift options available. 

In terms of discovery, social media continues to play a significant role, with 52% of shoppers spotting Mother’s Day gift ideas on these platforms and 35% saying it influences what they buy (short-form video content such as TikTok or Instagram Reels influenced 34% of shoppers overall). Notably, social media channels play a much larger role for younger families.

Among shoppers with young children, 57% said short-form video content has influenced their Mother’s Day shopping decisions. This suggests platforms such as TikTok and Instagram are becoming increasingly important inspiration sources. 

One in three people expect to use an AI tool such as ChatGPT or Gemini for gift ideas or inspiration. Among households with young families, this rises sharply to 60%. 

2026 RTIH Innovation Awards

AI will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.

Check out our 2025 winners here.

Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”

“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”

He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”

Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.