Mother’s Day has long been one of the biggest seasonal events on the Australian retail calendar, and for small businesses, it still delivers. From florists and cafés to gift stores and wellness providers, the lead-up to Mother’s Day drives a clear uptick in sales.

Shoppers are actively looking for meaningful gifts, and small businesses are perfectly placed to offer thoughtful, quality-driven options. Interest in Mother’s Day starts to build weeks in advance and peaks in the final days, giving you a well-defined window to capture attention with timely offers and smart promotions.

In this article, we’ll share five key insights and tactics to turn that seasonal momentum into real results.

Target early shoppers and last-minute buyers

Many Mother’s Day shoppers leave it late, but plenty also plan ahead. This gives small businesses two clear windows to drive sales. Instead of running one continuous offer, you can create stronger results by timing your campaign in two phases.

How to do it:

  • Phase 1: Start early with a soft launch. Share a gift guide, drop a limited-edition product, or offer a small bonus for early purchases. This builds awareness and gives planners a reason to act.
  • Phase 2: In the final week, shift your messaging to urgency. Remind customers of order cut-offs, last-minute availability, or local pick-up options. Clear calls to action like “Ready for Sunday” or “Final orders closing soon” help convert undecided buyers.

It’s a flexible Mother’s Day sales strategy for retailers and service providers alike, especially those balancing both in-store and online customers.

Split your campaign into two waves diagram

Example: One small business that usually sells weekend pottery classes ran a two-part Mother’s Day campaign to fill quieter midweek sessions. The first phase focused on “gifting an experience” and targeted adult children looking for something different to do with their mums.

In the second phase, they pivoted to promoting digital gift cards for last-minute buyers, with a simple message: “No shipping required. Book when you’re ready.” The campaign sold out two weeks of midweek spots, without touching their pricing.

Remove decision fatigue

One of the biggest reasons shoppers delay buying a Mother’s Day gift is simple: they don’t know what to get. Too many choices, unclear price points, and the pressure to “make it special” can lead to procrastination or no purchase at all. Helping customers feel confident about their choice — especially when they’re short on time — is one of the most effective ways to increase conversions.

How to do it:

  • Curate gift ideas into simple, scrollable formats. Think “Top Picks 2025,” “Gifts for New Mums,” or “Something for the One Who Says She Doesn’t Need Anything.”
  • Highlight bestsellers or staff picks to reduce indecision. A short line like “Our most gifted item last year” gives permission to buy.
  • Shoppers are more budget-aware than ever. Add sections or filters on your website like “Gifts under $50” to help them make decisions faster and avoid overwhelm.
  • Create sharable posts using simple, clear visuals and copy that people feel good about reposting or forwarding. Think helpful guides for those who overthink every gift, heartfelt captions, or last-minute gift prompts.

Example: Digital lifestyle brand The Inarra shared a “Gifts for Mum Under $150” guide ahead of Mother’s Day 2024, featuring a curated mix of beauty, wellness and homeware picks from The Iconic. The visual format was clean and scannable, the items were grouped by vibe rather than category, and the caption highlighted express shipping for last-minute shoppers.

Offer add-ons that make life easier

When customers are short on time or energy, it’s the small touches that often help them make a decision. Free gift-wrapping, flexible delivery or fast pickup can turn your Mother’s Day special deals into an easy yes for time-poor shoppers. These extras show that your business has anticipated what people need and made gifting easier.

How to do it:

  • Give customers options: instant e-gift vouchers, local pickup, and quick delivery all make buying easier.
  • Include add-ons like gift-wrapping, personal notes, or pairing ideas (e.g. “Goes perfectly with a bottle of wine or a Sunday sleep-in”).
  • Communicate clearly that you’ve taken the hassle out of gifting. Phrases like “No wrapping needed” or “Send straight to Mum” can help reduce hesitation.
  • If you run a service-based business, offer instant vouchers, packaged gift cards, or pre-booked time slots that don’t require extra admin.

Example: On their dedicated Mother’s Day page, Peninsula Hot Springs features a range of experiences — including a “Dine & Bathe for Two” package — with flexible gifting options. Customers can choose to send a gift certificate by email, post, or pick it up in person within 24 hours at their Mornington Gift Certificate Office.

The clarity and speed of fulfillment help make a premium experience feel easy to buy, even for last-minute shoppers.

e-gift vouchers

Team up with another business to expand your offer

You don’t have to create something from scratch to offer more value at Mother’s Day. A smart collaboration with another small business can help you reach new customers, add variety to your range, and bring fresh energy to your campaign without taking on the full load alone.

Co-branded packaging, a joint gift box, or a shared experience can make your offer feel more generous and considered.

How to do it:

  • Look for a natural fit. A café could pair up with a florist. A skincare brand might collaborate with a ceramicist for a bath and candle set.
  • Create a limited-edition bundle or joint offer and promote it through both businesses’ social channels, emails, and storefronts.
  • Use storytelling to launch the partnership. Share how it came about, what makes it special, and why it works for Mother’s Day.

Example: For Mother’s Day 2025, Australian skincare brand Myrtle & Moss partnered with South Australian floral and design studio Austin Bloom to create a limited edition gift range. The collection features Myrtle & Moss products wrapped in packaging designed with Austin Bloom‘s ‘Summertime’ print. It’s a collaboration that brings together visual storytelling and product design to offer a thoughtful, visually striking gift.

Optimise your content for how people actually search

In 2024, more than 14% of Australian consumers used AI tools like ChatGPT, Siri or smart speakers to search for or buy Mother’s Day gifts. As this behaviour becomes more common, the clarity of your product descriptions can directly influence whether or not you show up in search results.

It’s a simple shift that can help more people discover your business when they’re ready to buy.

How to do it:

  • Use natural, descriptive language in your product titles and descriptions. For example, “Mother’s Day Gift Box – Tea, Candle and Chocolate” is more searchable than “The Audrey Set.”
  • Include phrases like “Mother’s Day gift idea” or “gifts for mums under $50” in your captions and product copy.
  • Add a short, scannable description near the top of your site or product page that explains what you offer, especially if your product is niche or original.

Why it works: Tools like ChatGPT and voice assistants rely on clear, structured content to generate recommendations. If your product pages reflect how people naturally search, you increase your chances of being suggested, even without paid promotion.

You can also explore how other small businesses use AI tools in creative ways in this article.

 

Mother’s Day is a high-intent moment. Customers are already looking for something thoughtful to give. Meet them with the right offer at the right time, and even small moves can lead to meaningful results.

Mother’s Day sales cheat sheet

Download our Mother’s Day Sales Cheat Sheet