Siras: Moms Want Digital Frames, Imaging Gifts On Mother's Day

By TWICE Staff On May 8 2012 - 4:01am

REDMOND, WASH. — Mother’s Day isn’t only good to mothers since it turns out to also be very good for those who sell digital picture frames, among other imaging- related devices.

According to Siras, provider of product registration, return validation and lifecycle tracking services, last year saw sales soar to more than 11 times normal levels during the Mother’s Day weekend, May 6-8, 2011.

In an exclusive report for TWICE, the apparent favorite of gadget gifts for Mom is portable media players, which saw the largest increase in unit sales of any CE category for the two-week period ending on Mother’s Day, and which also have the lowest rate of return.

Other products getting a big retail boost from the spring rite included camcorders, sewing and craft machines, and digital still cameras, which saw holiday weekend sales increases of 244 percent, 84 percent and 57 percent, respectively.

The Siras report, based on data from participating retailers and covering millions of transactions, also revealed another way merchants benefited from the sales performance of digital picture frames: While other products purchased as Mother’s Day gifts were as likely to be returned as those purchased at any other time of year, picture frames are returned 50 percent less frequently than those purchased during normal periods.

“Media players and picture frames were the holiday’s ‘stickiest’ gifts,” said Siras president Peter Junger.

According to Junger, the Siras analysis of buying trends revealed different product selections among those who buy last-minute and those buying as long as two weeks in advance. “Most gift sales take place in the last few days before the holiday, and media players and digital cameras are popular last-minute choices,” he said. “Looking over the two week period leading up to Mother’s Day, other products, especially hands-free devices and even floor care, see a solid sales jump.”

As for this year, Junger said he would be interested in the performance of the computer category, which is where tablet sales are categorized.

“Computer sales picked up as well last year for Mother’s Day weekend, almost 25 percent. If tablet sales simply substitute for other computer purchases this year, their impact will be effectively neutral. Any additional increase in the category is almost certainly going to be attributable to growing tablet popularity. I am curious to see what new trends emerge as we analyze the data after the holiday.”