Splurge This Mother’s Day With Downtown Long Beach Shopping And Dining

Splurge this Mother’s Day with Downtown Long Beach shopping and dining at the more than 35 retail, specialty, entertainment and restaurants ranging from jewelry and gift cards to dining and clothing, among others. Now simply referred to as “The Streets,” the heart of Downtown is centered in between Third Street, Sixth Street, Pine Avenue and Long Beach Boulevard, and is the popular destination to shop for Mom leading up to Mother’s Day on Sunday, May 14.

According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), Americans will spend more than ever as they celebrate Mom with spending for Mother’s Day expected to reach $23.6 billion, topping last year’s record of $21.4 billion and a new all-time high. Those celebrating plan to spend an average of $186.39 per person, also up from last year’s previous record of $172.22.

When it comes to Mother’s Day gifts, consumers plan to spend $5 billion on jewelry, purchased by 36 percent of shoppers; $4.2 billion on special outings such as dinner or brunch, purchased by 56 percent; $2.6 billion on flowers, purchased by 69 percent; $2.5 billion on gift cards, purchased by 45 percent; $2.1 billion on clothing, purchased by 37 percent; $2 billion on consumer electronics, purchased by15 percent; and $1.9 billion on personal services such as a spa day, purchased by 24 percent.

The overall increase is expected to be driven largely by spending on jewelry, which is up 19 percent, and personal services, up 15 percent.

“With spring in full bloom, many Americans are looking forward to splurging on their mothers this Mother’s Day,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “Retailers will be ready with a wide range of gift options and a variety of promotions for their customers."

When searching for the perfect gift, 35 percent of consumers will head to department stores and 31 percent will shop at specialty stores such as florists, jewelers or electronics stores, while 24 percent plan to shop at a local small business.

The Downtown retail area has just the right variety of department, discount, specialty stores and small businesses featuring Mother’s Day shopping options with Daniel’s Jewelers, Ross Dress For Less, Jean Machine, Payless ShoeSource, Footaction and Big 5 Sporting Goods, among others, including:

- A lovely deal for Mother’s Day at Daniel’s Jewelers features a free Pearl Bracelet valued at $29.95 with any purchase of $49.95 or more.

- Mother’s Day shoppers at Ross Dress For Less will make mom smile with incredible savings on gifts with style at 20-60 percent off department store prices.

- To help Moms look their best, Jean Machine is offering its largest Mother’s Day shoe sale ever on a variety of styles including Circa, Fallen, ES and Osiris shoes, among others.

- Get Mom strong at Big 5 Sporting Goods with terrific gift ideas including apparel, fitness, footwear, outdoors, seasonal, sports, and games and toys, among much more.

“The Downtown area has a variety of great specialty shops and small businesses that offer a terrific mix of gifts for Mom on Mother’s Day,” said Tony Shooshani, managing member of Shooshani Developers. “And if brunch or dinner is in the plans, then there are plenty of restaurants in the six-block area to select from for Mom.”

The Downtown area presents residents and visitors with a wide array of restaurants including the new King Buffet seafood and grill that offers guests a full-service, all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet with over 120 items; Pie Bar for desserts featuring delicious handcrafted pies that are made from scratch and other scrumptious delights; Fresh Kabobs, the casual, family-style Indian restaurant; Mitaki Japanese, featuring quick and fresh Japanese cuisine; Wing Stop for fresh, hot chicken wings, famous fries and delicious sides; Milana’s New York Pizzeria, an authentic New York pizzeria; Sushi Zenmaru for teriyaki and rolls; Chuck E. Cheese’s, more than just fun and games, enjoy great food, always fresh with pizzas, salad bar, oven-baked sandwiches, buffalo wings and more; Panda Express for Asian-inspired cuisine in a fast casual environment; and Subway for fresh, delicious, made-to-order sandwiches.

Now simply referred to as “The Streets,” the heart of Downtown is centered in between Third Street, Sixth Street, Pine Avenue and Long Beach Boulevard, and features popular retailers and restaurants. For a complete list of the 35 retail stores, specialty shops, entertainment venues, and dining outlets, please visit http://www.facebook.com/thestreetsdtlb.com.