Nik Rajkovic / news@whmi.com

Flowers remain the top Mother's Day gift with Americans expected to shell out $34 billion, fueled mainly by inflation, on everything from jewelry to greeting cards and dining out.

"Nobody comes here for a little bit of money. Sixty-five years and why? Quality," says Eric Meier at Brighton's Meier Flowerland.

Meier told WHMI News you can't put a price on quality bouquets.

"I look at the size them. They're homegrown right here. Go to your neighborhood box store and look at the comparison. I'm twice as big."

Penrose Nursery in Howell also offers locally-grown bouquets and hanging flowers.

"Our hanging baskets are huge. And you can't really find anything like that anywhere, and for that price alone," said co-owner Rebekah Berry.

"We do hear (from customers) I went somewhere and it was the same price, but it was like nothing. That makes us feel good, because we work really hard and it's just me and my husband and our three kids."

The National Retail Federation says Americans will spend on average, about $259 this Mother's Day. That's $5 more than last year.

Consumers will spend a total of $6.8 billion on jewelry, $6.3 billion on special outings and $3.5 billion on gift cards. Total spending on flowers is expected to reach $3.2 billion, while total spending on greeting cards is expected to reach $1.1 billion.

Consumers are also continuing to prioritize thoughtful gifts this holiday. Nearly half of consumers (48%) say finding a gift that’s unique or different is most important to them, followed by 42% who say finding a gift that creates a special memory. Gifts of experience continue to be popular post-pandemic -- 36% of men plan to gift experiences this year, up from 29% in 2019.

"Alongside traditional gifts like flowers or a card, gifts of experience are a way to create a special memory with mom," Prosper Executive Vice President of Strategy Phil Rist said. "Whether it’s tickets to a concert or movie, a wine tasting or simply a scenic hike and picnic, there are options to fit any budget."

Online (36%) remains the top shopping destination this year, followed by department stores (32%), specialty stores (29%) and local or small businesses (25%).

The survey of 7,948 U.S. adult consumers was conducted March 31-April 7 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.1 percentage points.