10-minute read

2018 Mother's Day Shopping Trends

Discover gifting trends and learn how Etsy plans to promote Mother’s Day to buyers.

Avatar image for Audrey Manning by Audrey Manning
Title image for the article
Want to open your own Etsy shop? Create your shop today!

Shoppers will love you for making the special someone who opens a gift from your shop feel it was made just for them. Mother’s Day shoppers on Etsy want to celebrate the important women in their lives with the perfect gift. It could be for their mom, grandma, aunt, sister, or friend—regardless, she’s unlike anybody else. Help shoppers do something special for the women who matter to them most by offering gifts that feel personal and as unique as their recipients.

Find out what Mother’s Day shoppers are looking for this year and how we’ll be promoting the occasion on Etsy. Here, we share top gifting trends, insights, and how you can make your items eligible to be featured in Etsy’s promotion of Mother’s Day gifts.

How we’ll promote Mother’s Day items

We’ll select eligible ready-to-dispatch and gift-wrappable items for promotion on the Etsy.com homepage, in curated Editor’s Picks pages, on social media, a site banner, and in emails to shoppers, beginning 16 April. Set your items’ processing times to between one and three business days and enable gift wrap and you could be featured. If you sell custom items that require longer processing times, offer gift wrapping to ensure your items are eligible for potential promotion. This Mother’s Day event will run from 16 April to 15 May in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Germany, and until 29 May in France, where Mother’s Day falls two weeks later.

Pro tip: Our merchandising team is actively looking for items to feature, so add your ready-to-dispatch and gift-wrap-eligible items today.

Some tips on timing

Industry-wide, Mother’s Day spending has been on the rise for the last several years, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). On Etsy, searches for Mother’s Day begin to climb in April and peak by May. Shoppers continue to look for the perfect Mother’s Day gift up to and a week beyond the holiday. This year, Mother’s Day is 13 May in the US, Canada, Australia and Germany, and 27 May in France.

Weekly volume for searches including the term "mothers day" on Etsy

So, the sooner your Mother’s Day items are listed on Etsy, the better their chances of being discovered by Etsy’s merchandising team and appearing in our on-site shopping event. When stocking your shop with new Mother’s Day gifts—or updating existing items with a Mother’s Day customer in mind — set your processing times to three days or less to be eligible to be featured in our on-site promotion of Mother’s Day. Offering fast processing times and gift wrapping will also help you attract last-minute Mother’s Day shoppers.

Mother’s Day Trends

These trend predictions are based on industry forecasting and some of the top searches on Etsy leading up to Mother’s Day last year.

Expressive gift wrap

What a little paper and ribbon can do! Beautiful gift wrap makes the experience of giving and receiving gifts more joyous, and also attracts shoppers who are tight on time (or confidence in their wrapping skills). And because we’ll be promoting gift-wrap-eligible items to this year’s Mother’s Day shoppers, offering gift wrap could also bring your items more exposure.

Gift wrapping provides a great opportunity to let your creativity shine, and can be a low-commitment way to flirt with a trend. Craft your own wrapping supplies, or look to Etsy’s amazing supplies sellers for materials. Feel free to have fun with it and explore a bold pattern you might not use in a product, like a tropical motif featuring palms, cacti, succulents, and tropical birds. Go big with bold, busy blooms or stick to textured surfaces and a monochrome palette.

Appeal to environmentally-conscious consumers with attractive recycled materials, or by making your gift packaging something recipients will hold onto and repurpose. Be sure to include a photo of your gift wrapping in your listing, and make sure it’s seasonally relevant. Learn more about setting up gift wrap in your shop here.

From top left: Photos by StitchKits, Root & Branch Paper Co., The Poetry of Silk, Yipikai, Root & Branch Paper Co., Alice Millin Design, Air Friend, Paula Lukey Design

The possibilities of personal

Etsy shoppers are looking for ways to make their gifts personal, and ordering custom items makes this easy. With Etsy sellers continually adding new ways to personalise gifts, it’s no wonder “mothers day personalised” was a popular search last year. Customisation trends among Mother’s Day shoppers include initial and birthstone jewellery, incorporating children’s handwriting and drawings, family trees, and custom family portraits.

From top left: Photos by The Family Art Shop, jbethbish, ToozyStudio, Scamp, Caitlyn Minimalist, Tom Design

Thinking beyond mom

The recipient list this Mother’s Day goes far beyond moms. Consider godmothers, grandmothers, step moms, expecting mothers, sisters, aunts, or any woman who plays a significant role in a shopper’s life. We're even seeing interest in creative gift ideas for people who take care of pets and plants.

Grandmother gratitude: Who’s even more deserving of praise than the woman who raised you? Grandmothers are having a moment. Last year we saw shoppers searching for grandmother-specific gifts.

Photos by silkandmore, Soul Kitchen Keepsakes, Hand Stamped Delights

Non-traditional mother figures: Help shoppers acknowledge the women in their lives who play a mom-like role, or have a special significance to them with products that embrace unique relationships, including non biological bonds.

Photos by Sweetlove Press, Ragdoll Design Prints

Pet moms: Being a good pet parent takes work. Help shoppers celebrate the great pet moms in their life by offering gifts that their pet might buy if they could.

Photos by Firebolt Creations, MiniHandsCrafts

Plant moms: Keeping a plant alive is no easy feat. Help shoppers honour the women whose plants grow with gifts that acknowledge their green thumbs and help them tend to their gardens.

From left: Photos by Alisa Vysochina, Hemleva, Jackie Lee Art Prints, Wildflower And Salt

Celebrating women’s strength

Join the global conversation taking place around gender equality and women’s rights with gifts that champion women and their work. Items exploring these themes acknowledge women’s strengths and achievements (especially as they relate to motherhood), encourage self-acceptance and self-care, celebrate the bonds between women, and express pride.

From left: Photos by The Bee & the Fox, The Sassy Girl, The Bee & the Fox, Tattoorary, PureXpressionDesigns

Handmade charm

Nothing says “made for mom” like gifts buyers can craft themselves. Offering DIY materials and kits (including downloadable cards buyers can print and colour or construct) helps shoppers have a hand in making their own gifts. Remember that DIY kits and supplies can also make great gifts for crafty recipients. This can be particularly meaningful if the craft in question is one that’s been passed down through generations of women. By offering DIY kits, you can tap into the growing shift towards people gifting experiences. Downloadable items also offer appeal to last-minute shoppers who still want to deliver that heartfelt, personal gift.

From top left: Photos by Hawthorn Handmade, Kudzu Monster, Barruntando, Redbear Design, NomNomTeethingCo, YayMail

Flowers she can keep

Nothing says “thank you mom” like a bouquet of fresh flowers, or on Etsy, a gathering of stems made from paper, wood, or felt. Creative Etsy sellers are swapping the ephemeral for long-lasting products that incorporate florals in unexpected ways. There’s clear appeal in a gift she can treasure long after the fresh flowers have shrivelled. Add your personal spin for a new take on tradition.

From top left: Photos by Wild Wild Heart, Goldfish Marmalade, Rebecca Tollefsen, Sloane Street Studio, Day Three Creations, FATCAT, fern & felt, Betsy & Els

Savouring simple moments

People are looking for ways to slow down, relax, and really be in the moment. This can mean spending more time in nature, practicing mindfulness, or simply taking it easy at home. Product opportunities around this trend include tools for calming activities like journaling or painting, natural bath and body indulgences, fragrance diffusers, and slow coffee makers. For moms, this relates to a larger slow parenting trend of taking time to enjoy every precious moment of motherhood.

From top left: Photos by Sea of Wolves Design, 100 Day Journal, Hushwing Watercolors, Rustic Pine Creation, Boxwood & Rose, The Bee & the Fox, Homemade Simply Mom

Did you find this story helpful? Share your thoughts and what kind of trends you’d like to read more about in the comments below.

Avatar image for Audrey Manning Words by Audrey Manning

Audrey Manning grew up in Brooklyn, just blocks from Etsy HQ. These days she's working from PA and busy trying to keep up with her toddler.

Connect with the community

Looking for a place to share questions and spark new conversations?

Join the conversation in the Forums and get inspired

See more

Latest articles

The Ultimate Guide to Pricing

The Ultimate Guide to Pricing

Get the smartest, most up-to-date guidance on developing your pricing strategy to reach new customers, increase profits, and grow your business.

How to Craft a Killer About Section

How to Craft a Killer About Section

Telling the story behind your business can create a connection with customers – and boost your visibility. Learn how Etsy sellers are doing just that.

The Essentials of Online Advertising

The Essentials of Online Advertising

Advertising is one way to help shoppers discover your products. Get to know the basics of online advertising to accelerate your marketing efforts.

Tools for Growing Your Business – and How to Fit Them Into Your Pricing Strategy

Tools for Growing Your Business – and How to Fit Them Into Your Pricing Strategy

Learn how discounts, advertising, and sales events can help support the goals you have for your shop while protecting your bottom line.