Clothing, Gift Cards Among Top Father’s Day Picks
by Christina Lee on June 7th, 2009
This Father’s Day, U.S. consumers are buying what they know will suit their loved ones, while spending just a little less.
After spending $88.01 on recent graduates and $123.89 on mothers in May, U.S. consumers plan to spend an average of $90.89 on fathers, down from last year’s $94.54. The National Retail Federation also expects total spending to reach $9.4 billion, according to the D.C. trade association’s most recent survey.
Sporting goods, gardening tools and appliances are still mainstay Father’s Day gifts, as consumers anticipate spending more than $500 million in each product category.
But while ties and socks also remain popular gifts, consumers plan to spend the most on a special outing, such as dinner or a sporting event. In fact, more than a third of total holiday spending, or $3.2 billion, will go toward both outings and clothing.
And while consumers recognize the special interests of their fathers, they are celebrating Father’s Day not much differently than Mother’s Day. For both mothers and fathers, special outings, gift cards and clothing have become favorite purchases. And for both holidays, they will shop the most at discount stores, as their popularity continues to rise.
Side note: This Father’s Day survey also points out that since 2004, consumers have spent an average of $30.33 more on mothers than fathers for their respective holidays. Why do you think this happens? Let us know by commenting below.