Although budgetary living has given dear old dad the backseat in the past few years, Father’s Day 2011 is looking especially fruitful for dads and retailers alike. Perhaps, parents experiencing less economical constraints have increased the kiddies’ allowances. Whatever the reason, NRF’s Consumer Intentions and Actions Father’s Day survey, conducted by BIGresearch, forecasts an average of $106.49 to be spent on dad, up from $94.32 last year. As dad receives more retail recognition, the gap between Mother’s Day spending (average of $140.73) and Father’s Day spending has narrowed.
Bringing Father’s Day Gift Giving Back
While jewelry and mobile devices were at the top of mom’s list this past Mother’s Day, the NRF expects consumers to splurge on a variety of gifts for dad this year. These gifts include gift cards ($1.4 billion), sporting goods ($653 million) and automotive accessories ($593 million). Traditional gifts that remain popular selections are electronics, home improvement tools, as well as books or CDs. However, Phil Rist, executive vice president of strategic initiatives for BIGresearch, suspects those shopping for dad will think outside the box this holiday. Rist explains, “Dad has always been content spending Father’s Day grilling in the backyard or shooting hoops in the driveway, but this year kids have bigger plans for him. Shoppers are putting more thought into Father’s Day gifts and are seeking out the perfect personal, yet practical, gift to say thank you to the man who’s always been there for them.”
Must have on the shelf products well-suited for your consumers’ outside the box thinking, include the ShadeCase and SJT He-Man Signs. ShadeCase is for those dads who are looking for a solution that prevents scratching or breaking of a pair of sunglasses. The ShadeCase box is made of high density Styrofoam with a felt interior and black fabric on the outside, and is available in two pair and three pair configurations. SJT Enterprises‘ He-Man signs are personalized Pub signs. Sample signs read, for example, “Dave’s Man Cave,” while others say, “Matt’s Neighborhood Pub.” Each style has varieties with about 100 different male names.
Whatever the gift idea, independent retailers can expect an influx of children and mothers looking to make this Father’s Day special. With the hope to find the perfect gift, according to the NRF, “more than one-quarter of gift buyers (26.9 percent) will shop at a specialty store (electronics, gift store, etc.,) and 22.1 percent will shop online.”