Newspaper Page Text
The Champion, Thursday, June 18 - 24, 2015
BUSINESS
Page 19A
Retailers hoping for Father's Day spending boost
by Kathy Mitchell
The average person cel
ebrating Father’s Day this
year will spend $115.57
on gifts, a slight increase
from last year’s average of
$113.80, according to the
2015 Father’s Day Spending
Survey conducted by Pros
per Insights & Analytics for
the National Retail Federa
tion (NRF). That’s not quite
67 percent of the $172.63
that a corresponding survey
indicated consumers spent
celebrating Mother’s Day
this year.
While the annual tribute
to dads—Sunday, June 21,
this year—is not the most
lucrative consumer holiday
of the year, it is not insig
nificant to retail merchants.
The NRF survey found 75.4
percent of Americans saying
they plan to celebrate Fa
ther’s Day. The national total
of $12.7 billion is expected
to be spent on golf lessons,
home improvement tools,
coffee mugs, gift cards and
other gifts.
Approximately 36.4
percent of consumers will
do their Father’s Day shop
ping at department stores,
according to the survey.
Among those trying to lure
Father’s Day shoppers lo
cally is Northlake Mall,
which this year has posted
a shoppers’ guide that offers
everything from $10 groom
ing kits to suits, luggage and
jewelry costing hundreds of
dollars.
“We invited all of our
retailers to list items they are
featuring for Father’s Day.
This isn’t an all-inclusive
guide, but for those who
come to the mall looking for
ideas, this is a great starting
place. It’s also an opportu
nity for retailers to highlight
items that shoppers might
not be aware they carry.
For example, there’s a store
that specializes in lingerie
and cosmetics for women,
but they also have men’s
fragrances that few people
know about. Another shop
that primarily offers cos
metic treatments for women
is reminding the public
While Father’s Day spending nationally is approximately 67 percent of spending for Mother’s Day, the mid-
June holiday is not insignificant to retailers.
they also have facials for
men,” said Bianca Gibson,
Northlake’s director of mar
keting and business develop
ment.
“Of course, Father’s Day
is not as big a retail event as
Mother’s Day, but there are
many people who want to
honor their dads and they’re
looking for something spe
cial, something they feel
their father would really en
joy receiving,” Gibson add
ed. She said in addition to
gift items some food court
restaurants are highlighting
treats dads might enjoy and
hair salons are offering spe
cials on haircuts and facial
hair trims.
The NRF survey indi
cated that approximately
39.7 percent of Father’s Day
shoppers will purchase such
apparel items as shirts or
neckties. An additional 43.3
percent will choose experi
ence gifts, such as tickets to
a ballgame or a special meal
with the family.
Sherwood Chiropractic
Center in Decatur is seeking
to attract those who want to
give their fathers a feel-good
experience. The center is
hosting a pre-Father’s Day
event June 18, featuring free
consultations and hydro
massages. “We’re billing it as
a Father’s Day/community
appreciation event, so it’s not
for dads only,” said Diane
Knight, Sherwood’s com
munity relations coordina
tor, “but we’ll have healthy
picnic food and drink and
other things we think men
will really enjoy.”
Gibson said Northlake
also is hosting a special
event for fathers in its food
court Saturday, June 20, with
goodies and giveaways for
dads.
Among the items fea
tured at Northlake are
electronic games, which ac
cording to the NRF survey
is a popular choice with one
in five Father’s Day shop
pers choosing gadgets and
electronics. Total spend
ing on sporting goods and
leisure items for Father’s
Day is expected to be ap
proximately $665 million
nationally. Other big sellers
in mid-June event are home
improvement and garden
supplies, tools and appli
ances, personal care items
and books.
“Spending on grilling
and patio necessities, pool
gear, sporting goods, apparel
and other gift and seasonal
merchandise could be the
positive stepping stone re
tailers need heading into the
second half of the year,” said
NRF President and CEO
Matthew Shay, who in a
news release described retail
spending for the first half of
2015 as “less than stellar.”
Approximately 51.8 per
cent of those surveyed are
planning to buy for their
fathers or stepfathers and
others will shop for their
husbands (27.6 percent) or
sons (8.9 percent) this Fa
ther’s Day.
LOCALLY DRIVEN Q
DeKalb Chamber of Commerce • Two Decatur Town Center, 125 Clairemont Ave., Suite, Decatur, GA 30030 • 404.378.8000 • www.dekalbchamber.org