Much to the dismay of Dads everywhere, Father’s Day doesn't get nearly enough recognition as a gift-giving holiday, especially when compared to Mother’s Day, which is the second most popular gifting holiday in the United States following Christmas. However, that doesn't mean Father’s Day isn't a relevant holiday in the world of shopping!
In the past month, we've conducted Mother’s Day and Father’s Day consumer insights studies, finding some notable differences. According to our survey, just 79% of respondents plan to celebrate Father’s Day, compared to 86% who celebrated Mother’s Day. And from there, it only gets worse for poor old dad…basically, they’re getting the raw end of the deal across the board.
Mom gets lobster – Pops gets a burrito
The leading budget range for respondents planning to take their fathers out to dinner is $21-$40 in sharp contrast to our Mother’s Day survey results which revealed an average budget of about $70. I know dads. It’s just not fair.
Mom gets jewels and pearls – Dad gets a shaving kit
The majority of respondents have allotted a budget of $20 or less for Father’s Day gifts – that’s right $20 or less! That’s all dad’s worth?! For Mother’s Day, the budget was significantly higher at about $65. What's up with that?! I'm pretty sure my son isn't even getting me a gift for Father's Day, but Biggie is a Bulldog, so I guess he gets a free pass on this one...
So what can dad expect?
Although dad’s not getting much, at least he’s getting something! And the stereotypical “tie for Father’s Day” deal did not ring true in this study. The most popular gift category for fathers is a card (69%), followed by a meal out (40%), which is comparable to the Mother’s Day survey results, except moms got flowers. I don’t know about you, but my dad would find it rather off-putting if I had flowers delivered to him, so no headline news here.
In-Store is (still) King
Similar to Mother’s Day, in-store remains the purchase preference for those celebrating Father’s Day with 78% of respondents sharing that they would purchase gifts in store. For Mother’s Day, this figure was about 71%. Not much to report here, except that despite the online shopping phenomenon, consumers still prefer to physically purchase a product.
At the end of the day, the appreciation for mom shines all too bright in comparison to the apathy for papa bear. Consumers are expending a lot more resources for Mother’s Day than for Father’s Day – sorry dads. Maybe next year!
Happy Father’s Day from TrendSource!
Methodology: TrendSource surveyed U.S. wINput users between May 31st and June 10th, 2013. Results represent a total of 105-123 respondents (response rates differ by question). All respondents opted in to respond voluntarily.
