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Mom's not feeling the love

May 4, 2011

A new survey from Mom Complex, the marketing-to-mothers division of the Martin Agency, reports that 30 percent of moms say they typically get honored for no more than 5 to 10 minutes on Mother's Day. In fact, 40 percent feel their husband and children come first on Mother's Day, and 12 percent feel they don't even make the list, reports Marketing Daily.

Toops Scoops

Forget the presents. What moms really want is time off from housework (57 percent) and a homemade gift or card. Only 28 percent received one last year.

Then again, Americans plan to spend more on mom this year -- even if it's not on the things she wants. The National Retail Federation (NRF), in its annual survey of consumer intentions with BIGResearch, reports that Americans are planning to pamper mom a little, and expect to spend $140.73 on gifts, up from $126.90 last year -- about what they spent in 2008, and Total spending is expected to reach $16.3 billion.

About 65 percent will buy mom flowers. And the biggest change, according to the NRF, is electronic gifts -- with 13.3 percent planning to get mom an electronic gift, a 48 percent increase from last year. Jewelry is also expected to be popular, with 31.2 percent of celebrants planning to buy mom silver, gold or diamonds -- a 19 percent increase. And of course, as ever, it will likely be one of the biggest holidays of the year for restaurants, with 54.7 percent treating mom to dinner or brunch.