Spending & Quality Trending Upwards For Father’s Day Gifts

As spending increases, Dad can expect more extravagant Father’s Day Gifts than in years past; maturation of Gen X & Y, passage of time and changes in consumer preferences all fueling a major shift in Father’s Day Gifts.

Manchester, NH - June 1, 2006 - Sadly, millions of ties and t-shirts bearing the ‘World’s Greatest Dad’ logo will be sold this year as Fathers Day gifts. Dad will undoubtedly smile, and begrudgingly wear the article of apparel for the afternoon to the amusement of those gathered to share his special day and then promptly bury it in the closet next to last year’s gift when the day has commenced.

Thankfully, the ritual of giving Dad the first gift you find in the store bearing some type of slightly embarrassing jargon is coming to a slow and long overdue passing. In the last few years there has been a dramatic shift in demand for Father’s Day gifts that more tastefully celebrate Dad’s day of reverence. Slowly but surely those ties and t-shirts are being swapped for golf gift baskets or grilling gifts; something Dad will actually enjoy after Fathers Day! Like Mom, who is no stranger to getting exactly what she wants on Mother’s Day, it appears that more Dads will be pleasantly surprised when opening their father’s day gifts this year.

The shift away from these endearing yet dated gifts towards offerings Dad will enjoy beyond his tenure on Father’s Day is largely due to the maturing of America’s population. With most Baby Boomers kids out of the house and self sufficient, they finally appreciate the sacrifices made by their parents and are opting for gifts that show a sense of maturity and independence. With this interesting dynamic it’s easy to see why, according to the NRF’s Father’s Day Report, spending will exceed $9 billion this holiday. With the large number of gift buyers coming into ‘gift giving age’ and America’s love of luxury, expect Father’s Day to continue to look more like Mother’s Day!

Ryan Abood is President of GourmetGiftBaskets.com, an online purveyor of premium Fathers Day Gift Baskets.