This Mother’s Day, consumers in the US plan to spend a total of $15.73 billion on gifts, according to a survey commissioned by the National Retail Federation (NRF), a retail trade association. Consumers are expected to spend an average of $139.14 on the holiday compared to last year’s $122.16. %% The study found that the majority of consumers (84.5 per cent) plan to celebrate Mother’s Day this year. %% Shoppers plan to spend nearly $2.1 billion on jewellery (32.8 per cent), $1.6 billion on clothes and accessories (37 per cent), $2.3 billion on flowers (72.4 per cent) and $3.1 billion on a special dinner or brunch at their favourite restaurant (61 per cent). %% The large majority (37.5 per cent) of gifts will be purchased at a specialty store, such as a florist, jeweller or electronics store. Almost one-quarter (24 per cent) of consumers will shop at a discount store, 29 per cent will head to a department store and 2.9 per cent will buy from a catalogue. Twenty per cent of consumers will shop online, compared to only 16.9 per cent who did so last year. %% The average male shopper planning to spend $172.91 this Mother’s Day, compared to women’s estimated $107.18. Shoppers in the 25 to 34 age group will spend the most this year ($151.42), followed by 35 to 44 year olds ($147.30), 55 to 64 year olds ($138.14) and 18 to 24 year olds ($137.73). %% According to separate survey conducted by the Jewelry Consumer Opinion Council (JCOC), 16 per cent of shoppers intend to gift jewellery this Mother’s Day. %% Earrings, necklaces and fashion rings are the three most popular styles, the survey indicated. For fine jewellery gifts, yellow gold was the clear choice (selected by 40 percent of respondents). White gold and sterling silver were distant second choices (selected by 16 percent of respondents). %% Half of all respondents planning to purchase a fine jewellery or watch Mother's Day gift intend to spend between $100 and $300. %% Nearly half (42 per cent) of all mothers who'd like fine jewellery for Mother's Day prefer diamond jewellery, compared to 37 per cent in 2006.