• by Maria Bailey , Columnist, April 27, 2022

The food gift-giving industry is a $21 billion a year business, with over 92 million Americans sending at least one food gift a year, according to the National Retail Federation.  Although holidays generate many of those sales, it appears that the generosity and gifting spirt of today’s moms extend beyond traditional holidays. 

According to a recent survey by BSM Media of over 1,000 U.S. women with children, 79% have sent a gift to someone in the past six months.  The most popular gift for these women to send is food, with more than 65% of those gifts being sent outside of traditional holidays.

As more and more food brands and retailers are seeking new channels of revenue through online and offline delivery services, customized items and gift bundles, the following results may be valuable to connecting with mom consumers.

• The most popular occasions for moms to send a food gift are anniversaries (61%), birth of a new baby (56%) and as a thank-you gesture (55%).
• More than 60% of moms surveyed will spend between $30 and $60 per gift ordered.
• After the price of the product, in order of influence, the most influential factors in deciding what food gift to send are reviews, shipping costs, personal experience with the item and recommendation from friends or family.
• Nutritional value of the food items is also a consideration for moms sending food gifts.  More than 68% say they want the ability to customize the flavor, ingredients or appearance of the gift.
• Sixty-two percent of gift senders expect to pay shipping for the item they are sending. Seventy percent prefer to have the cost of shipping included in the price they see on the product page.
• Instagram provides the most inspiration for discovering gift ideas, followed by Pinterest.  Moms report that product websites and Facebook are tied in influence toward their buying decisions.
• Almost 40% of moms say they find a new gift idea on Tik Tok -- demonstrating once again that the emerging social platform isn’t just for dancing anymore.
• Among other considerations for mom gift givers is the packaging and uniqueness of the product.

The good news for brands and food product manufacturers is that the majority of moms’ gift giving purchases are done online, making it affordable and easy to test entry into the category. Introducing limited edition flavors, exclusive customized products or bundled packages via social media could open up a whole new channel of distribution.  Brands such as Burt’s Bees and M&Ms have successfully connected with today’s mom consumers by providing gift giving solutions.  Tapping into the gift giving industry is a great way to extend your selling season and align it with the buying behaviors of mothers.