Mother's Day eCommerce orders rise as delivery shifts

UK eCommerce order volumes for Mother's Day week rose 8.47% year on year, according to Scurri. Demand was spread across the week rather than concentrated in a last-minute rush.

The figures suggest a change in how shoppers approach the gifting occasion, with growth recorded on every day in the run-up and no single peak day dominating activity.

Monday set the pace, with order volumes up 8.44% from a year earlier. Growth strengthened later in the week, with Thursday up 10.17% and Saturday up 10.59%.

That pattern contrasts with other retail events, where buying tends to cluster around final order cut-off points. In this case, shoppers placed orders over a broader window while still using faster shipping options.

Delivery shift

Delivery data showed the sharpest rises in services that combine speed with flexibility. Next-day delivery increased 24.41% year on year, while two-day delivery rose 14.12%.

Standard delivery also rose sharply, up 41.80%. By contrast, signature delivery slipped 0.46%, suggesting some shoppers are moving away from more restrictive fulfilment options.

Rory O'Connor, Founder and CEO of Scurri, said the spread of orders across the week had altered the shape of the seasonal peak for retailers and carriers.

"Mother's Day is no longer behaving like a traditional retail peak. What we're seeing is a shift from a last-minute surge to a much more distributed pattern of demand. Shoppers are planning earlier, but they are also seeking greater flexibility in how their orders are fulfilled. The strong growth in next day and weekend delivery shows that convenience and control are becoming central to the purchase decision. Retailers need to maintain consistent performance across a longer time window, where delivery reliability and flexibility play a direct role in conversion," O'Connor said.

The data suggests retailers can no longer treat Mother's Day as a single-day operational spike. A steadier build in orders puts more emphasis on maintaining service levels over several days rather than preparing for one sharp surge.

It also indicates that shoppers are balancing earlier planning with a desire to keep options open. The rise in standard delivery alongside next-day services points to a market in which some consumers are ordering in good time, while others still want short delivery windows closer to the occasion.

Gift categories

The mix of products purchased also shifted during the period. Traditional gifting categories remained in growth, but some of the strongest gains came from less typical segments.

Food and drink orders rose 2.86%, while cosmetics increased 3.58%. Those categories continue to hold their place in Mother's Day spending, though growth was more modest than in other areas.

By contrast, pet and animal products climbed 28.23%, and sports equipment rose 21.43%. The figures suggest more shoppers are choosing gifts linked to personal interests rather than relying on conventional seasonal purchases.

Not all established categories grew. Fashion volumes fell 13.37%, indicating weaker demand for what Scurri described as more generic gifting.

The decline is notable because clothing and accessories have often featured prominently during gift-buying periods. A fall of that size suggests a stronger consumer preference for gifts that reflect hobbies, routines or household preferences.

Retail impact

For online retailers, the broader spread of orders changes both stock planning and fulfilment management. When demand is distributed more evenly across a week, warehouses and delivery teams may face a different kind of pressure: less of a single crunch point, but a longer period in which service failures can affect sales.

Carriers and merchants also have to manage customer expectations across a wider range of delivery options. If consumers increasingly expect both standard and faster services to be available close to seasonal events, businesses may need to keep more options open deeper into the trading window.

Scurri, which works with online retailers on delivery management and post-purchase processes, said the data covered UK eCommerce orders in the week leading up to Mother's Day. The company manages more than 200 million parcel deliveries annually for merchants in the UK and Ireland.

The figures add to broader evidence that eCommerce peaks are becoming less predictable in shape, even when total demand is rising. Rather than waiting until the final days, many shoppers appear to be ordering earlier while still prioritising delivery choice at checkout.