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As the rush to find mom the perfect gift continued into the last minute before Mother's Day, those doing the shopping were expected to spend less money when they found that gift.

The National Retail Federation said it expected people to spend slightly less on their mothers this year, compared to previous years.

The decrease was partly due to the current economic slump and rising prices of food and fuel.

James McCann, founder and CEO of 1-800-Flowers, said he has not raised prices on arrangements this year, and saw no indication that consumers were opting for lower priced flowers, despite inflation pressure.

Local flower shop owners said gas prices have forced them to raise prices, but they were not seeing a drop in business.

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