Why do retailers promote such celebrations as Mother's Day and Easter?

Answer 1

In a word: materialism. We always think we need or want things that we can quite well do without, but retailers can find the way to make us want even more.

Retailers will try a variety of methods to get consumers to buy. By promoting holidays and events that happen once a year, they can appeal to consumers' need to "get in quick before it's over". Consumers are, unfortunately, easily trapped by advertising, and they more likely to regard the spending that comes with a single event as "a special occasion" and worthwhile. Further, it gives them the opportunity to place seasonal decorations around the store, thus piquing consuners' interest and greater likelihood to spend on things they really don't need.

Let's face it - we have chocolate around us all year, but the difference with Easter eggs is that, because Easter is just once a year, we are more prepared to spend up big for that one occasion, figuring that it won't matter to our budgets because it is "just this once". Mother's Day is a great opportunity to appeal to our sense of giving our mothers something special, even though they also don't really need that extra shower gel, bathrobe or whatever else we are being convinced they would love to own.