Consumer anticipates purchases and bets on more premium gifts on Mother's Day

With the expectation of moving R$ 37.91 billion and bringing 127 million consumers to purchases, Mother's Day is consolidated as the second most important date for national retail, according to a survey by CNDL and SPC Brazil. And if the volume already impresses, the behavior behind the numbers is even more revealing: the Brazilian shopper is buying earlier, spending more per visit and choosing gifts with greater added value, consolidating a movement of premiumization and planning on the date. 

This is what a study of the Unlimitail, Retail Media platform of Carrefour Group, which shows how this movement was consolidated in 2025 and what it signals for this year. The data indicate that the purchase journey was no longer concentrated in the last week, something common until recently. In 2025, almost 41% of the sales of giftable categories had already been carried out up to three weeks before the event, five percentage points above 2024. Considering retail as a whole, this index reached 43.9%, against 35.9% in the previous year, in practice planning to the purchase 3rd, the week of the sales of the MTP, the week of the M3T, in the week of the sales of the sales, the week of the M3rd week of the week of the sales, the sales of the week of the M3rd, the week of the M3rd, the week of the week of the sales of the sales of the M3rd, the sales of the sales of the sales of the week of the week of the week of the week of the Mt. 

Even with the drop in the number of orders over the period, the average ticket has grown consistently, reaching an increase of up to 40% on Friday before the date in Carrefour stores and 25% in Sam’s Club, for example. Here, the behavior suggests a more efficient journey: fewer trips to the store, but with more robust purchases, especially among those who leave for the last hour and opt for higher value items.

“O that these data reveal is a structural change in the Brazilian's buying journey. The consumer is reaching the point of sale with the most mature decision, since he has already researched, compared and chosen. This puts Retail Media in a central role and reinforces how it needs to be present also in the moments before the decision, when brand preference is still being formed, and not only in the corridors of the”, ponders Fatima Leal, Director of Agencies and Partnerships at Unlimitail.

The choice of gifts also evolved, and categories associated with the experience and celebration gained space, such as spirits, wines, sparkling wines and premium chocolates. Distillates, for example, grew 47.2%. Already in the chocolate segment, we had a replacement of the traditional box of candy for more sophisticated options and with greater emotional appeal.

The premiumization movement also appears in unexpected categories, such as barbecue, traditionally associated with the weekend and which gains a new role in the date. Beef grew 12.3% and sausages 54.1%, with premium brands leading this advance. This data dialogues with the cultural resignification of the moment, which is seen as a special occasion of celebration.

Among durable goods, growth is directly linked to planning: mobile phones advanced 32.9%, consolidating as the fastest growing electro, while refrigeration advanced 8.7%. These are purchases that require greater consideration and reinforce the anticipated behavior of the consumer.

“A premiumization that we see in this study is not an isolated phenomenon of commemorative dates and, in fact, reflects a reconfiguration of the value perceived by the Brazilian shopper. When the consumer chooses a premium whisky or an imported chocolate as a gift, it is signaling a willingness to spend more, since the brand delivers value throughout the journey. For retail and brands, this represents a significant opportunity, but it is necessary to know how to use data to identify this consumer at the right time and impact it with the message that will capture a demand that already exists”, reflects Fatima.

Therefore, more than a promotional date, Mother's Day consolidates itself as a moment of more strategic and intentional consumption. The 2025 shopper must repeat the behavior this year: buy before, choose better and spend more. This scenario requires brands to be present in advance, integrate channels and be able to impact the consumer at the right times of the journey.