Headlines

Father’s Day Spending on the Upswing

Finding unique ways to pamper dad growing in popularity, NRF survey finds.

Published

8 months ago

June 1, 2025

INSTORE Staff

Greeting cards remain a staple of Father’s Day spending, the latest NRF/Prosper Insights & Analytics survey concludes. PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO

Father’s Day spending is expected to reach a record $24 billion this year, boosted in part by increased purchases on special outings and personal care items, according to the National Retail Federation’s latest annual forecast. That figure is up from last year’s $22.4 billion and exceeds the previous record of $22.9 billion set in 2023.

Also growing in popularity are subscription boxes (43% plan to give such items this, up 10% from 2019, the first year the NRF asked the question) and gifts of experience (30% this year, up from 23% in 2019). Some other notable findings:

Online remains the most popular shopping destination, at 41%, followed by department stores (35%), discount stores (23%), specialty stores (22%) and local/small businesses (19%).
Consumers are planning to spend just under $200 on average per person, about $10 more than last year. Those between the ages of 35-44 years old tend to spend the most on the holiday, at $278.90 on average.
When looking for Father’s Day gifts, shoppers said it is most important they find a gift that is unique or different (46%) or creates a special memory (37%).
As in recent years, 58% of Father’s Day shoppers plan to purchase a greeting card, followed by clothing (55%), a special outing (53%) and gift cards (50%).

The survey result, compiled in partnership with Prosper Insights & Analytics, drew responses from 8225 consumers between May 1-7, with a resulting margin of error of plus or minus 1.1 percentage points.

Click here for more from the survey.

INSTORE Staff

Since launching in 2002, INSTORE has won 89 international journalism awards for its publication and website. Contact INSTORE's editors at [email protected].

click to Comment(Comment)

Up Next

At Citizen, 55 Years of Titanium Innovation Is Only the Beginning

Don't Miss

Tariff Turmoil Continues Unabated

Honoring a Legacy: How Smith & Son Jewelers Exceeded Every Goal With Wilkerson

When Andrew Smith decided to close the Springfield, Massachusetts location of Smith & Son Jewelers, the decision came down to family. His father was retiring after 72 years in the business, and Andrew wanted to spend more time with his children and soon-to-arrive grandchildren. For this fourth-generation jeweler whose great-grandfather founded the company in 1918, closing the 107-year-old Springfield location required the right partner. Smith chose Wilkerson, and the experience exceeded expectations from start to finish. "Everything they told me was 100% true," Smith says. "The ease and use of all their tools was wonderful." The consultants' knowledge and expertise proved invaluable. Smith and his father set their own financial goal, but Wilkerson proposed three more ambitious targets. "We thought we would never make it," Smith explains. "We were dead wrong. We hit our first goal, second goal and third goal. It was amazing." Smith's recommendation is emphatic: "I would never be able to do what they did by myself."