> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.recart.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.recart.com/holiday-playbooks/mothers-day.md).
# Mother's Day
Covers Mother's Day campaign ideas, popup designs and offers, from the early-access weeks to the day itself.
Mother's Day shoppers buy for mums, step-mums, grandmothers and the other mother figures in their lives - and some treat themselves too. Clear gift ideas and a firm order-by date do most of the work.
This playbook covers what to send, how to theme your popups, and which offers work best for Mother's Day.
{% hint style="info" %}
Mother's Day falls on different dates around the world. In the US, Canada and Australia it's the second Sunday in May. In the UK and Ireland, Mothering Sunday is in March (sometimes early April). Check the date for where most of your customers live.
{% endhint %}
### Key dates and lead time
* **4-6 weeks before:** launch your Mother's Day popups, early access and offer
* **2-3 weeks before:** gift guides and gift sets
* **Your order-by date:** the last day to order for delivery before Mother's Day. Work it out from your carriers' deadlines and your own packing time, and put it on your popups and messages
* **The last few days:** gift cards, and local pickup or delivery if you offer it
* **Mother's Day itself:** a short, warm message - no hard sell
### Campaign send plan
Five to six sends are enough. Use these messages as a starting point and customize them to suit your brand. Recart adds your site name to the start of every message automatically (shown here as \[Site Name]), and you can personalize further with [variables](/sms/writing-messages/use-variables-in-sms-flows.md) like the subscriber's first name (shown here as \[First Name]).
| Send | When | Goal |
| -------------------- | ------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------ |
| 1. Early access | 3-4 weeks before | Give subscribers first pick |
| 2. Gift guide | About 2 weeks before | Make choosing easy |
| 3. Gift sets | About 10 days before | Ready-made gifts, higher order value |
| 4. Order-by reminder | A few days before your order-by date | Get orders in on time |
| 5. Last call | Your order-by date | Create urgency |
| 6. Gift cards | The last 1-2 days | Catch last-minute shoppers |
#### Sample messages
**1. Early access**
"\[Site Name]: Hi \[First Name], our Mother's Day collection is here - and you get first pick. Enjoy \[offer] until \[date]: \[link]"
**2. Gift guide**
"\[Site Name]: Gifts for every mum, step-mum and grandma in your life. Our Mother's Day gift guide: \[link]"
**3. Gift sets**
"\[Site Name]: Ready to give, ready to love. Shop our Mother's Day gift sets: \[link]"
**4. Order-by reminder**
"\[Site Name]: Order by \[date] to get your gift there in time for Mother's Day. \[link]"
**5. Last call**
"\[Site Name]: Last day to order for Mother's Day delivery! Don't miss it: \[link]"
**6. Gift cards**
"\[Site Name]: Left it late? Our gift cards arrive instantly - no shipping needed. \[link]"
#### Send tips
* Speak to everyone - "for the one who does it all" works for mums, grandmothers and mother figures
* Mother's Day can be hard for some people. Many brands send a short message a few weeks before, offering to skip Mother's Day messages - if you do, leave anyone who opts out out of these sends
* Add a product image to your early access and gift guide sends
* Put your order-by date in every send from the gift guide onwards
* When you add the first name variable, set a fallback like "there", so the message still reads well for subscribers whose name you don't have
[How to schedule SMS campaigns in Recart](/sms/campaigns/run-successful-sms-campaigns-with-recart.md)
[Add images to SMS messages](/sms/writing-messages/add-images-to-sms-messages.md)
[Create SMS segments and lists](/sms/subscribers-and-lists/create-sms-segments-and-lists.md)
### Popup ideas
Keep your popup on-brand, with a soft Mother's Day touch - warm colours, a small label and a gift-worthy product photo. Four directions to try:
#### 1. Mother's Day early access
**Design:** A product photo on one side and the offer on a soft blush background. Add your order-by date in small text at the bottom.
**Headlines to try:**
* Gifts she'll wear every day
* First pick of our Mother's Day collection
* Early access starts here
**Button text to try:** Unlock \[20%] off · Get early access
#### 2. Gift with purchase
**Design:** A calm product photo in the background, with the offer on a soft card and a thin border. A free gift feels thoughtful and protects your margins.
**Headlines to try:**
* For the one who does it all
* A little something extra for her
* A free gift with every order over \[amount]
**Button text to try:** Claim my free \[candle] · Get my gift
#### 3. First Mother's Day order
**Design:** Offer on one side, product photo on the other. Tell shoppers what they'll get by text, for example a heads-up before your gift sets sell out.
**Headlines to try:**
* \[15%] off your first Mother's Day gift
* Gifts she'll love, for less
* Be first to know before gift sets sell out
**Button text to try:** Get my \[15%] off · Count me in
#### 4. Order-by date
**Design:** Put your order-by date in a bright label above the headline, and pair it with a small reason to order now, like free gift wrap.
**Headlines to try:**
* Delivered in time for Mother's Day
* Order by \[date] - we'll get it there
* There's still time to spoil her
**Button text to try:** Get my \[10%] off · Shop gifts now
{% hint style="info" %}
A soft decline link like "Maybe later" or "No thanks" keeps the popup friendly. Make sure your Welcome Flow's first message matches the offer on the popup.
{% endhint %}
[Create a welcome popup](/list-growth/popups/welcome-popup.md)
[Schedule your opt-in tools](/list-growth/testing-and-scheduling/scheduling-opt-ins.md)
[Customize your CTA button](/list-growth/popups/customizing-your-cta-button-in-popups.md)
### Discount ideas
Mother's Day shoppers want a gift that feels special. Extras like gift wrap and free gifts often work better than a bigger discount.
* **Early access:** let subscribers shop your Mother's Day collection first, with a small discount
* **Gift with purchase:** a free mini, candle or extra item over a set order value
* **First-order discount:** a percentage or fixed amount off for new subscribers
* **Gift sets and bundles:** ready-made gifts at a set price
* **Free gift wrap or shipping before your order-by date:** removes one more reason to wait
* **Gift cards:** for shoppers who missed your order-by date
#### Discount code ideas
Keep codes short - one word or a word and a number - so they're easy to remember and type on a phone.
| Offer | Code ideas |
| -------------------------- | --------------------- |
| Early access | MOM20 · MUM20 · EARLY |
| Gift with purchase | GIFT · TREAT |
| First-order discount | MOM15 · LOVE15 |
| Gift sets and bundles | SET · BUNDLE |
| Free gift wrap or shipping | WRAP · SHIP |
| Gift cards | CARD10 · EGIFT |
{% hint style="info" %}
For unique and expiring codes, Recart adds six random characters to your prefix (for example, MOM15ABC123). A short prefix keeps the full code easy to read.
{% endhint %}
[Create and manage discount codes](/discounts/create-discount-codes-in-recart.md)
[Expiring discount codes](/discounts/expiring-discount-codes.md)
### Recart setup checklist
1. Check the Mother's Day date for where your customers live, and set your order-by date
2. Create your Mother's Day discount (and any gift card offer), with start and end dates
3. Build your Mother's Day popup and schedule it to start 4-6 weeks before
4. Update your Welcome Flow's first message to match the popup offer
5. Add your order-by date to your abandoned cart and checkout messages, and set a reminder to remove it afterwards
6. Schedule your campaigns and send yourself test messages before anything goes live
[Abandoned cart flow](/sms/automated-flows/automated-flows-abandoned-cart.md)
[Test Recart SMS messages](/sms/getting-started/test-recart-sms-messages.md)
If you need help planning your Mother's Day sends, [contact the Recart Support team](/contact-recart-support.md). We'd be happy to help!
---
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