Consumers nervous about rising gas prices and other bad news won't spend as much for Mother's Day this year, the National Retail Federation predicts.
I'm twitchy about the economy, too. But I'm skeptical that Charlotte will skimp on Mom May 11. So I went out Friday to ask folks about their Mother's Day intentions.
I talked to a couple of dozen shoppers, clerks and food court workers at SouthPark mall. Most said they're trying to economize -- in many different ways. But on gifts for Mom? No way.
"You've only got one mom," said Carol Poole, a sales representative from Maiden. "You can always cut back on something else."
Poole watched as her mother, Betty Roper, tried on shoes at Macy's. They were heading over to lingerie to look for Roper's Mother's Day present, a strapless bra.
Why a strapless bra? "She needs one," said Poole.
Like most women I talked to about buying for Mother's Day, Poole was passionate about getting the right gift. It had to be the thing that her mom wanted and needed the most. Price was irrelevant.
Whether they're 5 or 55, sons and daughters want to please Mom. But many women, including my sisters and friends, put long, concerted thought into a Mother's Day gift.
Mothers and daughters have a special relationship, say psychologists, one that may be the most complicated of all human relationships. Buying a Mother's Day gift is more than spending money. It's a personal quest. Can you imagine a son buying a bra for his mom?
And when you're middle-aged and your mother is elderly, you wonder how many more presents you'll get to buy for her.
The retail federation, the world's largest retail trade association, surveyed 8,180 consumers earlier this month. It forecast that Mother's Day spending would drop slightly, from an average of $139.14 last year to $138.63 this year.
It was the first time since the association started surveying in 2003 that it predicted a drop. But the retail federation had only enough information to whet the appetite.
For instance, they don't know how many folks -- a wife, mother, grandmother and sister, perhaps -- the $138.63 is supposed to cover. And they can't design a follow-up survey that verifies what was actually spent, said spokeswoman Kathy Grannis.
Still, whenever a trade group forecasts less than bullish spending, it takes you by surprise.
Randal Stywall, taking a break from serving pizza at the Food Court, works two jobs to make ends meet. But the 20-year-old Charlotte woman says she's not going to scrimp on her Mother's Day spending.
She plans to take her mom out to dinner at a buffet restaurant and buy her flowers and, possibly, a gas card.
Why a gas card? "She needs one," said Stywall.
She figures that 362 days of the year, her mother takes care of her. Christmas, Mother's Day and her mother's birthday are Stywall's treat.
In Origins, a natural skin care store, manager Pam Oelshig and assistant manager Jim Hipolito were surrounded by signs for Mother's Day specials. Oelshig said sales are brisk.
But Oelshig and Hipolito exchanged wistful glances when asked about their own Mother's Day spending. Oelshig's mother died four years ago and Hipolito's mom died last year.
"We loved going broke for our moms," said Hipolito.
Oelshig said she celebrates her mother's life by buying Mother's Day presents for her aunt and a good friend who's a mom.
She said she regrets that some years she had less money to spend on her mom than others. She always got nice gifts, but still...
"I wish I had spent more on her while I had her."
ON THE MONEY
Mother's Day spending
Each year since 2003, the National Retail Federation asks thousands of consumers what they intend to spend for Mother's Day. For the first time, the average dropped, from $139.14 in 2007 to $138.63 in 2008. The association asks consumers for their spending total without specifying how many relatives or friends that covers. Some highlights:
• Young adults ages 18 to 23, many of whom have wives, mothers, grandmothers and sisters, will spend the most, an average of $170.71.
• Consumers will spend nearly $3 billion on a special dinner or brunch.
• Consumers will spend $2 billion on flowers and $1.4 billion on clothing and accessories.
Locally, Matthews-based Family Dollar spokesman Joshua Braverman said, "We're optimistic about this year's sales." Mooresville-based Lowe's declined comment and Charlotte-based Belk couldn't be reached for comment. Nancy Stancill
