Mom seen taking a hit on Mother's Day

Two women shop for flowers at the Los Angeles Flower Market, May 5, 2008.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The economy is still in a recession and for the second consecutive year, Mom is taking a hit on Mother's Day.

U.S. consumers will spend $123.89 on average on Mother's Day, down more than 10 percent from a year ago, according to a survey released on Thursday by the National Retail Federation.

That follows a dip to $138.63 in 2008 from $139.14 in 2007, according to the survey, which was conducted by market research firm BIGresearch.

Mother's Day falls on May 10 this year.

Most people -- 66.8 percent -- will buy flowers for their mothers, while 54.8 percent will treat Mom to a special outing like dinner or brunch, the survey said.

Spending on that special outing is expected to total $2.7 billion, with jewelry spending coming in next at $2.3 billion, the survey said.

Where are people likely to shop for Mom? About 30 percent of those surveyed said they would purchase a gift from a discount store, while 27.2 percent said they would go to their favorite department store. Also, 33 percent said they would go to a specialty store like a florist, gift shop or electronics store.

The survey of 8,667 consumers was conducted March 31 through April 7.

(Reporting by Brad Dorfman, editing by Matthew Lewis)