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June 14, 2024
Should Dads Be Getting More Retail Love on Father’s Day?
When 500 American dads were asked what they’d like to receive as a gift for Father’s Day, a recent YouGov survey showed the greatest proportion, 32%, did not want to receive any gifts at all.
In comparison, “no presents” ranked #11 in a YouGov survey of American moms.
The findings come as NRF’s Father’s Day survey projected that spending around the day will reach $22.4 billion this year, only slightly below last year’s record. Yet NRF’s estimate puts spending around the day 33.1% lower than the $33.5 billion projected for this past Mother’s Day.
The new YouGov survey found dads looking for experiences. Next to not wanting a gift, the second most popular option (more than one answer could be selected) was to be taken out for drinks or a meal, 19%.
The desire for material gifts ranked lower. Alcohol was cited by 11% of dads as a welcome gift option for Father’s Day; a personalized or handmade gift, 10%; tools/gear/equipment (DIY, cooking, sports, etc.), 9%; a gadget or device, also 9%; and clothing/accessories, 7%. Higher up on the list, 17% were open to receiving a gift card.
When asked which of the following activities they’d like to do on Father’s Day, the top three answers were spend time with my children, 58%; enjoy a meal at home, 42%; and go out to eat and drink, 30%.
NRF’s survey of Father’s Day shoppers found the top five most popular gifts for Father’s Day to be greeting cards, cited by 58%; clothing, 54%; special outing, 52%; gift cards, 48%; and personal care items, 31%. Additionally, 27% of shoppers planned to gift their fathers an experience, such as tickets to a sporting event or concert.
NRF separately explored the differences in how men and women approach shopping for Father’s Day. The findings included:
- 44% of women prioritize finding a Father’s Day gift that creates a special memory, compared to only 35% of men.
- 29% of men consider convenience the most important factor in choosing a gift, whereas only 20% of women share this view.
Still, NRF found several emerging categories that could replace the traditional tie and dress shirt Father’s Day purchase of yore. For example, the 31% planning to gift dad a personal care item, such as beard and hair oil or shaving kits, this year, is up from 21% in 2019. Home improvement, car accessories, tools and sporting goods, and leisure items categories have also seen a climb in popularity as Father’s Day gifts since 2019.
According to NRF, Harley Finkelstein, president of Shopify, said that data on sales from Shopify merchants in May shows Father’s Day shoppers are “gravitating towards gifts based on the recipient’s hobbies and passions. This might include upgrading their grilling set up or gifting dad some new gear for his favorite outdoor activities like golf, tennis, cycling, fishing or gardening.”
Discussion Questions
Why is retail spending around Father’s Day significantly below spending levels for Mother’s Day?
Does it make sense for dads more so than moms to favor experiences or no gifts on their special day?
Is retail failing to inspire shoppers with imaginative yet relevant Father’s Day gift options?
Poll
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I don’t think this is exclusive to dads. Across many gifting occasions, more emphasis is being placed on experiences over things. The trend has been growing since the pandemic, maybe because people were reminded that creating memories often trumps buying stuff.
As for spending, Father’s Day has always been below Mother’s Day. Partly because dads tend to be less bothered about the day than moms, but also because a high percentage of people tend to buy multiple things for mothers – e.g. a gift and flowers.
There are numerous excuses why some may think father’s day is shorted relative to mother’s day. Timing (one month later and after summer has started), dads hard to buy for, dads generally less interested in gifts, etc.
I also think retailers, marketers, and frankly parts of society have pigeon-holed father gift giving at a different level than mothers, and generalized fathers as grilling, tool-toting, coffee and beer swilling, macho types. Frankly I’ll take any gift from my kids. If it’s a shirt, I trust they have better judgment regarding updating my wardrobe. If it’s a new album for the vinyl collection, I welcome their taste in music.
Both mothers and fathers these days are more in favor of experiences with their children versus gifts. Experiences equates to time. And more time with the family is a blessing.
Do these things “make sense”? In the meaning that they conform to gender stereotypes, certainly; I’ll not venture further into the ‘Mars/Venus’ debate, but some of these differences don’t strike me as very meaningful: 44 vs, 35%…in a group of six or seven pople getting together, the raw numbers would essentially be the same.
Dads don’t get enough respect in today’s culture. Many decades ago, Dad was a strong family figure on television who taught his kids right from wrong. For example, Father Knows Best, the Donna Reed Show, and others (I know I am dating myself). In recent decades, Dad has been portrayed as a goof ball. For example, Married with Children and other foolish TV sitcoms. All this filters down to retail, which reflects what is going on in the culture. Sad situation.
The first thing that came to mind as I read the article was the old joke, “No gifts means you better bring a gift!” While fathers tend to diminish the importance of gifts on Father’s Day (and many other occasions), they do appreciate being thought about. A gift and/or card is always appreciated.
Spending on Father’s Day has always been lower than Mother’s Day, but that doesn’t mean it’s less important. Plenty of retailers see a strong increase in sales for Father’s Day, while others don’t. Maybe it’s the merchandise and/or the promotion. Regardless, any occasion like Father’s Day (and Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, etc.) is an opportunity for retailers to take advantage of.
I believe the lower spending for Father’s Day compared to Mother’s Day is rooted in societal attitudes and gender norms. Traditionally, fathers have been portrayed as less sentimental and not as invested in gift-giving occasions. The data reflects this, with many fathers stating they don’t want gifts at all for Father’s Day.
In contrast, Mother’s Day has been heavily commercialized and there is more societal pressure for children to celebrate mothers with gifts. Retailers have done a better job curating gift options and marketing experiences tailored for mothers.
More fathers appreciate experiences over material goods. I expect we could see Father’s Day spending increase as retailers better cater to dads’ preferences for quality time and shared activities with their families. Innovative retailers recognizing this opportunity can capitalize on it!
Let’s face it, moms always have been and always will be retail gold. Most stores physically dedicate more square footage to women’s vs men’s products. To that end, I don’t expect that Fathers Day will ever out pace Mothers Day in retail sales, but there is certainly a sizeable opportunity gap that has been left unattended for a long time.
Aside from experiences, shoppers are only going to buy what’s in store. Retailers have an opportu.ity to think outside of the box and curate meaningful gifts and experiences for dad.
Greeting cards have become table stakes and gadgets a given. But what if retailers could create an experience? For example, most major retailers offer gourmet meals. Would a Father’s Day meal kit, complete with bells and whistles, be an inspired choice if it allowed families to stay home and avoid the mad rush at local restaurants? What if these kits had some element of personalization for dad and the family? Would that deliver on the experience dads seem to prefer?
From a retail perspective, most holidays come with merchandising time-stamps and short-turn expirations; Fathers Day is among the shortest. So, the investments are, understandably, cautious. Still, there is opportunity for growth in less predictable merchandising assortments and more personalized experiences for dads and families.
Contrary to what Woke America wants us to believe, there are definitely common differences between women and men. That isn’t to say all differences are valid 100% of the time, but generally speaking mother’s day is a much greater retail event than father’s day because the female holiday is by far more emotional and meaningful to Mom’s than the male holiday is to less emotional Dad’s.
But there are other reasons, too. Mothers are easier to buy material gifts for than dads, with what seems like many more choices and possibilities. Dads tend have some specialty interests like hobbies, but dads just want to feel “basically” appreciated, so dinners, drinks, or a few tickets to a ballgame, or even a thoughtful greeting card, or e-card will more than suffice. Db
“Woke America” is just the start of one stereotype after another about the difference between the sexes. If anything, retailers and marketers have left dollars on the table by embracing the narrative that men are too stoic to care.
Father’s Day retail spending is typically lower than Mother’s Day due to the emphasis on experiences rather than material gifts. Dads value time with family and memorable outings. Moreover, fewer people prioritize buying Father’s Day gifts compared to Mother’s Day, impacting overall spending levels. Retailers could boost sales by inspiring shoppers with imaginative, personalized gift options that emphasize experiences and focuses on creating unique offerings to drive Father’s Day sales.
Father’s Day is just not as big of a deal as Mother’s Day, and my guess is (like me) most Dad’s would just prefer to go out for lunch or a drink with their adult children, or get a card that Mom picked out with a signature from their younger kids.
Even though I am a proud Father of three adult children, this holiday feels manufactured to me. Keep your expectations low, and there will be no issue. 🙂
I am with you all the way!
Compared to moms, dads often prefer experiences as a gift of quality time with their children. Father’s Day also falls at a busy time and competes for family budgets amid other seasonal celebrations like graduations, weddings and summer vacations.
Bingo! Travel with my family is the best gift of all, especially as my daughter is going into college. There won’t be too many unencumbered opportunities left before she heads off on her own, gets her own career, starts her own family – so I treasure the time I have with her now.
Travel is one of the best ways to make cherished family memories.
There seems to be a notable upswing in marketing around the holiday this year. Surprisingly, I even saw marketing this year tied to pride month, highlighting ‘daddies’ and gay father’s. As a marketer and a gay father of two amazing daughters, I was impressed with the two birds one stone method.
Overall, men’s categories seem to gaining more attention with diversification in areas such as beauty. This is coupled with the focus of several retailers to emphasize experiences over products.
It is fair to say that Father’s Day takes a back seat to Mother’s Day – from the perspective of where retailers focus the most on advertising, promotions and creating opportunities for us to show Mom just how much she means through gifts of “things”. Our society has long bought into this notion equating our appreciation for Mom with material gifts – hence the larger overall spend.
Dads in general take a much more laid back approach to their day, preferring to just spend time with their family – and in general, retailers have placed less emphasis on inspiring us to buy “stuff” on this day.
I agree with Lisa Goller’s take on Father’s Day falling on the calendar right in the midst of competing with graduations, weddings, etc. for discretionary spending.
The missed opportunity for retailers is failing to recognize and focus on the experiences Dad prefers and just how gift options can enhance those experiences.
Hmmm.. is there a correlation between the low spend on Father’s Day and the demise o the necktie in men’s fashion? Curious…
In all honesty, there has always been a tremendous amount of hype around Mother’s Day vs. Father’s Day. Personally, I would echo what I’ve read by other commenters here: society puts more emphasis on the role of Mom over Dad. The traditional role of the Mother as nurturer reinforces this stereotype. A doting mom is much easier to buy for than a dad who has probably already bought everything he wants without waiting for a special occasion. More evidence: I’m always amused at the disparity of the gift piles between Mom and Dad and at the holidays.
I overheard two dads discussing Father’s Day on Saturday. The one complained, to his dismay, that the family arranged to take him out to dinner. “Why can’t they just leave me alone? It is my day. I want to do nothing, maybe watch some sports on TV.” The other guy agreed. He said, “I make it very clear that I don’t want a gift, a card, a special dinner, or anything. Just leave me to myself.”
I smiled, listening to them. I feel the same way. Just drop me a text or a quick phone call, and I will be more than happy.
I used to joke (sort of) that Father’s Day should be called Mother’s Day II- On Mother’s day, we would dress up, take my mother-in-law out to brunch, and then I’d hang with the kids while my wife and MIL would go to a spa or for a “Ladies” outing. Father’s Day would come, and I was told we’d be dressing up, going out for Brunch with FIL, and then I could spend the rest of the day with kids doing whatever I wanted while she left me alone.