Big hugs all round following a Mother’s Day (30 March) that turned out to be a bigger boost than expected for UK retail.
Not only did related footfall leap, but shoppers were tipped to have spent £2.4 billion on Mother’s Day this year, up 5% year-on-year, according to global retail solutions provider Sensormatic Solutions.
Data from its ShopperTrak Analytics insights platform showed high streets were happiest on Sunday, with a 13.4% footfall hike compared to last year, as total retail footfall on the day lifted 7.3% compared to 2024.
Shopper count on the Saturday (29 March) was also up an impressive 13.1% year-on-year with shopping centres the top performing destination that day with footfall rising 15.3% year-on-year.
Footfall in the week leading up to Mother’s Day (23-30 March) delivered an 8.2% boost to store visits compared to the week prior.
Andy Sumpter, Sensormatic Solutions’ EMEA Retail Consultant, said: “As a popular gifting day, retailers will have welcomed the ambient boost to footfall from Mother’s Day after shopper traffic performance experienced a bumpy few months of late.”
He added: “Gifting occasions, like [this] not only serve as seasonal revenue drivers, but with consumers shopping for others, they also attract new cohorts of shoppers, who perhaps are infrequent or new customers, in to store. And that presents a valuable engagement opportunity to open up your brand to new audiences, making the delivery of compelling in-store buying journeys and enhanced CX all the more important, helping to turn first-time shoppers into repeat buyers.”
