The value of Mother’s Day
As a hotelier or restaurateur you are no doubt focusing on selling tables for Mother’s Day lunches or afternoon teas, but have you considered how an online gift voucher shop could maximise the value of this key event in 2026?
Is Mother’s Day on 15th March an important moment for gifting?
Indeed it is.
Mother’s Day always falls three weeks before Easter Sunday and continues to be one of the biggest seasonal retail events in the UK. According to Global Data, the total spend on Mother’s Day gifts in 2025 was in the region of £2.4 bn, with 56.4% of consumers surveyed planning to buy a present. We also see from our own gift voucher sales data that after Christmas, Mother’s Day is the most important annual celebration for driving voucher revenue across hospitality and leisure clients.
Graph highlighting consolidated sales data from the One Tree Gift Voucher System
With consumers increasingly choosing experiences over physical gifts, restaurants, hotels and spas are in an ideal position to benefit. Even if the cost of living is a consideration, families still prioritise treating mothers to ‘thank you’ gifts and are happy to invest in memorable experiences.
For customers, vouchers strike the perfect balance:
They’re thoughtful and personal while offering flexibility. Recipients can choose when to redeem their voucher, often adding extras when they visit.
Experiential gifting continues to outperform physical-only options like flowers, perfume and jewellery, particularly among younger buyers looking to create shared family memories. The option of instant email delivery and ease of purchase provide further attractions for time-poor shoppers.
Why gift vouchers hit the sweet spot in 2026
For your business, gift vouchers help you to:
- Generate revenue beyond bookings on the day itself.
- Gain instant cash flow during the early part of the year.
- Create pre-paid guest visits later in the year.
Automating sales with an online shop and management system brings added benefits:
- In 2026 customers expect to be able to buy online and can purchase directly via your website 24/7. Your business doesn’t miss out on enquiries and sales.
- Secure payments are processed at the point of sale.
- We dispatch email and postal vouchers promptly on the day of purchase, delivering a high level of service for your guests.
- Non-redemptions add straight to your bottom line, without having to deliver the pre-sold experience.
- You reduce costs as staff members do not need to spend time taking payments, issuing vouchers and keeping track of the validity of the vouchers.
This means you can focus your efforts on marketing and operations, while the One Tree System handles online sales, email or postal fulfilment and voucher management.
How will you promote your Mother’s Day gift vouchers?
So if your time is no longer taken up issuing vouchers, what will make a difference to your voucher sales? Targeted promotions will grow your voucher business as your clientele becomes aware of your range.
As part of your subscription we provide full support – offering concepts and templates for promotions. Seasonal marketing ideas are available around all key gifting events to prompt and assist you with campaign planning and implementation.
Ready-made Mother’s Day promotional packages
With a gift voucher system in place, Mother’s Day delivers more value than a busy Sunday.
The value of Mother’s Day is more than a Sunday filled to capacity. It can be a revenue driver that generates immediate income, with the promise of future customers for your business. Why not increase your 2026 Mother’s Day sales figures with a smarter, more visible voucher strategy?
To find out more, please contact us for a one-to-one demo. Alternatively click here to buy a sample voucher for yourself.
“50% of annual gift voucher sales take place in November and December and the other 50% in the remaining 10 months of the year.”
“Almost 70% of gift recipients will spend a higher amount than the value of the gift voucher when they visit your venue.”
“Non-redemptions vary according to individual businesses. Once the voucher has expired the revenue adds to your bottom line.”