| [April 26, 2006] |
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Sixty-Six Percent of U.S. Small Business Owners Expect Strong Mother's Day Sales, According to Constant Contact Survey; Majority of Small Businesses Turn to Online Marketing in Anticipation of Increased Online Sales
WALTHAM, Mass. --(Business Wire)-- April 26, 2006 --
Fifty Percent Expect Average Customer to Spend over $50
Moms are not the only ones looking forward to May 14. U.S. small business owners are also anticipating the Mother's Day holiday, as 66 percent expect strong Mother's Day sales this year - according to Constant Contact's 2006 Mother's Day Outlook(a) survey. Constant Contact(R) (www.constantcontact.com) is the leading email marketing service for small businesses, associations, and nonprofits.
Broken down by top industries in terms of anticipated holiday sales, Hospitality (restaurant, travel, and lodging) led with 87 percent of them expecting strong sales this year, followed by Consumer Services (i.e. jewelers, spas, beauty salons, fitness and photography) at 69 percent, and Retail (specialty shop, clothing store, florist) at 67 percent.
Small Business Mother's Day Marketing Plans
Seventy-six percent of those surveyed said Mother's Day sales are important to their yearly earnings, which is why 75 percent are planning special promotions around the event. In addition, because 78 percent expect more online shopping by their customers this year, the majority of small businesses are using online marketing to capture a greater share of sales.
In fact, online methods such as email marketing and online marketing are more popular with small businesses than traditional marketing tactics, according to the survey. When asked to reveal the various methods they will use to promote Mother's Day offerings, email marketing prevailed at 81 percent; online marketing was second at 42 percent, followed by flyers (25 percent), direct mail (23 percent), and print/broadcasting/radio advertising (21 percent).
Mother's Day Consumer Behavior Trends
The majority of U.S. small business owners (54 percent) expect customers to spend $25 - $75 on Mother's Day gifts, with 30 percent predicting the average consumer to spend over $75. Husbands and daughters comprise 72 percent of those making the purchases, reservations, and appointments (37 percent and 35 percent, respectively), followed by the mothers themselves at 20 percent, and sons at 8 percent.
Examining sales trends by industry, the survey revealed the following:
Restaurants:
-- 38 percent of Mother's Day reservations are made for dinner, 27 percent for brunch, 25 percent for lunch, and 11 percent for breakfast
-- Mother's day reservations exceed Father's day in 63 percent of U.S. restaurants
Jewelers:
-- Necklaces and earrings are more popular than bracelets or watches as Mother's Day jewelry gifts
Florists:
-- The most popular type of flower ordered for Mother's Day in recent years is mixed-flower bouquets, making up 80 percent of all purchases from florists
-- Florists expect this trend to continue in 2006, as 72% of them said that mixed bouquets will again be the top choice for Mother's Day gifts
Spa/salons:
-- Half-day spa treatments that include a facial, massage and manicure/pedicure are the most popular personal service Mother's Day gift (44 percent), followed by massage (28 percent), facial (18 percent), haircut (8 percent), and manicure/pedicure (2 percent)
Sample questions and results from Constant Contact's 2006 Small Business Mother's Day Outlook survey include the following:
Do you anticipate a strong Mother's Day season in sales for your
business?
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Yes 66%
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No 34%
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Are you planning any promotional offers for Mother's Day?
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Yes 75%
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No 25%
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What methods will you use to promote your Mother's Day offerings
(check all that apply)?
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Email Marketing 81%
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Online Marketing 42%
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Flyers 25%
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Direct Mail 23%
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Advertising (TV, radio, or newspaper) 21%
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What do you think will be the most popular item during this year's
Mother's Day season?
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Flowers 50%
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Spa/salon appointment 30%
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Jewelry 13%
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Clothing 7%
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How much do your customers (per individual) typically spend on
Mother's Day gifts?
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Less than $25 16%
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Between $25 - $50 34%
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Between $50 - 75 20%
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Between $75 - $100 16%
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More than $100 14%
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(a) The 2006 U.S. Small Business Mother's Day Outlook survey was conducted through targeted online distribution to U.S. small business owners, who are current customers of Constant Contact, recording results from nearly 500 respondents. The survey was conducted from April 14th - 25th, 2006.
About Constant Contact
With more than 50,000 customers, Constant Contact(R) is the leading email marketing service for small businesses, associations, and nonprofits. Constant Contact is a web-based email marketing solution that enables small organizations to easily create and send professional email newsletters, promotions, announcements and more with no technical expertise required. Designed and priced for SMBs, Constant Contact is affordable, easy-to-use and includes a free 60-day trial at: www.constantcontact.com. The service is marketed through over 1,500 Business Partners and more than 100 marquee channel partners including American Express OPEN, AOL, Corel, FTD, IBM, Interland, Network Solutions, Register.com, Website Pros and Yahoo Search Marketing. Constant Contact is a founding member of the Email Service Provider Coalition (ESPC), a group formed to fight spam while protecting the delivery of legitimate email. Constant Contact is funded by Morgan Stanley Venture Partners, Commonwealth Capital Ventures, Longworth Venture Partners and Hudson Ventures. For more information, please call 781-472-8100.
Roving, Roving Software, Constant Contact, the Constant Contact Logo, Do-It-Yourself Email Marketing, The smart way to reach your customers, Email Marketing Made Easy, Email Marketing 101, Email Marketing Diva, Email Marketing Hints & Tips, and SafeUnsubscribe are trademarks or service marks or registered trademarks or service marks of Roving Software Incorporated d/b/a Constant Contact. All other company and product names may be trademarks or service marks of their respective owners.
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