What Mums Really Want For Mother’s Day

4 May 2010
News Release

What Mums Really Want For Mother’s Day

Dads, take heed - Mums want pampering and family time for Mother’s Day and nothing to do with housework, gardening or the car.

New research by national retailer Whitcoulls shows the ideal gift for 54% of mothers is to be spoilt, with the day off, breakfast in bed and quality time with the family. However, only 30% of men thought that’s what their wives and mothers wanted.

Some 15% of men assumed women would like flowers for their special day but that was a blooming good idea for only 5% of the mothers surveyed.

Supposed favourites - chocolates, perfume and lingerie – didn’t get much of a look-in either, appealing to less than 2% of mothers. Jewellery came in a little bit higher, but only at 4%.

“What we’ve found is mothers are not that interested in flash, expensive gifts,” says Whitcoulls marketing manager Catherine Collins. “What they really want is pampering and relaxation for Mother’s Day – a sleep-in, perhaps a spa or beauty treatment and to spend time with their family.”

For the 12% of Mums who want time to themselves, a good book is the answer, with 41% of all mothers surveyed liking contemporary novels, a third enjoying historical romances and the other third preferring non-fiction.

“Our staff members are well-trained in recommending books so Dads will find it easy to find the perfect gift for Mum – they just have to ask. Popular gifts include novels by the likes of Jodi Picoult and Nicky Pellegrino plus we have a fantastic range of the latest cookbooks,” says Collins.

Asked about their worst Mother’s Day gifts, 26% said getting nothing (how mean can you be, Dad?).

Nearly a quarter said household appliances, such as irons and vacuum cleaners, or cleaning products were their most horrible gift while the third worst spot was taken by garden tools and car products.

“Amazingly, one in 10 mothers said they’d never received a bad gift. But that does, of course, leave 90% who have,” says Collins.

While household appliances were not popular, 75% of mothers would take a bread-maker over a subscription to Vanity Fair.

• The online survey was conducted by Perceptive Research in April 2010 with 1,003 New Zealanders surveyed, comprising 510 women and 493 men.

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