Last Updated: June 1, 2023
While retailers may not have it quite as prepared as they did for Mother’s Day, the holiday celebrating our pops is still a big consumer day. In fact, if current trends are any suggestions, 2022 might break $23 billion in U.S. retail sales during the holiday.
But in order to cash in on the holiday, it’s important to remember who’s doing the shopping, who the shopping is for, and what kinds of products the occasion calls for.
How Will Consumers Spend Money On Father’s Day?
Americans spend a lot of money across a lot of different shopping categories for Father’s Day. The most money spent will invariably go to special occasion events, typically dining out for brunch or dinner. Meanwhile, apparel, gift cards, electronics, and personal care round off the rest of the top 5.
As far as where they’re doing the shopping, the NRF estimates that 38% will be making their purchases at department stores. Almost the same amount will be purchased online. The rest will be shopping at specialty stores, boutiques, and catalogs.
Does your business fit directly into any of these niches? If not, figure out how to relate certain products or lines to the occasion. Any retailer can find a way to appeal to fathers and Father’s Day shoppers.
Table of Contents
- Send out a Father’s Day Email Marketing Campaign
- Make Your Marketing Personal and Loving
- Focus on Dad Things and Display Well
- Sell to Moms, Kids…and Dads Themselves!
- Offer Father’s Day-Related Branded Freebies and Gifts
- Add Urgency to Father’s Day Discounts and Sales
- Make Your Father’s Day Gift Cards Visible
- Advertise on Social Media with a Contest or Giveaway
1. Send Out a Father’s Day Email Marketing Campaign
Email marketing is a good idea for any holiday marketing campaign. It’s an easy way to reach a large number of people for a cheap price. If you already have an established email list, this will be rather easy to accomplish.
Figure out what your promotion will be and send out an initial email followed by several follow-up emails. Even if they’re buried in promotional folders or other filters, aggressive email marketing campaigns will increase your sales. They are one of the easiest and most proven marketing tools so don’t miss out on a chance to take advantage. Remember to use a clickable subject line, attention-grabbing headlines, and clear calls to action.
2. Make Your Marketing Personal and Loving
Father’s Day is a day to show love to any father in your life. So it’s great for retailers to make their promotions fun and personal. Don’t be afraid to be cheesy and bust out those sentimental cards, books, or t-shirts.
Some retailers might consider personalizing gift options, such as items that fathers and their kids can enjoy together. Outdoor stores can market camping equipment packages for a bonding trip later in the summer.
Hardware stores might consider marketing starter tool sets so that dads can teach their kids some of the basics. Sporting goods stores can do the same: find products that dads can use with their kids and market them.
3. Focus On Dad Things and Display Well
It’s important to evaluate your store layout regularly, so use holiday marketing as an excuse to do so. Create great product displays around your store to catch the eyes of browsing shoppers.
Display areas are a great way to consolidate related items to encourage impulse purchases or to remind shoppers of that great idea that they were forgetting about.
In addition, use these retail areas to highlight product bundles, gift packages, or other deals. Attach small gifts to go with related purchases, assemble thoughtful gift baskets, or upsell additional items with smart bundled packages.
Liquor stores, for instance, often put together cocktail packages that make the shopping experience easier. Many consumers don’t know what they’re looking for when they walk into a liquor store. Use this as an opportunity to suggest an idea.
Finally, displays are great spots to market small items that are easy to throw in a cart. Mugs, t-shirts, socks, notebooks, and keychains all make easy Father’s Day gifts. Your clientele is likely to pick up a handful!
4. Sell to Moms, Kids….and Dads Themselves!
The NRF estimates that 53% of the Father’s Day shoppers will be people buying gifts for their dads and stepdads. But many men and women will also shop for their husbands. Some are shopping on behalf of kids who are too young to do so, while others may just use Father’s Day as an excuse to spoil their partners. Either way, 27% of Father’s Day shoppers are doing so for their husbands.
Lastly, 9% of Father’s Day consumers are dads themselves! Do some promotion around the idea of self-love and self-gifting.
With all of that said, it’s important to merchandise products that will attract each of these shoppers. This wide range of types of consumers and situations goes to show that any retail store can find a way to market for the holiday.
5. Offer Father’s Day-Related Branded Freebies or Gifts
Holidays are a great time to be generous. Reward your shoppers with some “gifts-with-purchase” deals. It’s important to find the right balance with what you decide to offer as a gift.
You don’t want the gift to be of little value to shoppers, but you also can’t afford to give away items at great cost to your bottom line. Analyze your inventory and revenue beforehand to determine which items on your shelves make the most sense to include.
Take the opportunity to brand these gifts as an additional form of marketing. Put a logo, phrase, or related image on the item to remind recipients where it came from.
Other retailers might partner with neighboring businesses to collaborate on cross-promotional items. Find a business that has a similar philosophy and related products. Work together to choose products that would make nice additions to each other’s stores. It will get Father’s Day shoppers talking about your shop, and visiting places they otherwise might not have.
6. Add Urgency to Father’s Day Discounts and Sales
Most retailers will want to start their Father’s Day marketing campaign a few weeks out, but as you do, find ways to create a sense of urgency. Consumers will respond to added pressure to make a purchase, especially when they’re shopping for a gift.
Create limited-time sales that end near the holiday, and market them loudly. Even better, offer better deals if consumers take advantage of the discount early. This allows you to send out more reminders before deadlines and build your brand identity.
7. Make Your Father’s Day Gift Cards Visible
Gift cards are popular for many different occasions. Father’s Day is certainly included. Indeed, over $2 billion has been spent on gift cards for Father’s Day each of the past several years.
Use the area around your POS to promote gift cards. They are a common last-minute purchase and should be positioned prominently throughout the checkout area. Train staff to remind guests about your gift cards as well. A simple suggestion can go a long way.
Finally, consider selling gift card “experiences.” Many fathers wish to receive a gift that involves the whole family. Selling an experience is a great way to appeal to this segment of shoppers. Tickets to a concert or sporting event, theme park packages, or day trips to other outdoor activities are popular options.
8. Advertise on Social Media with a Contest or Giveaway
Start by running a simple ad campaign on your social media platform(s) of choice. These are easy to target and typically relatively affordable. Try out different ads and promotions to see what really catches people’s eyes. Remember, it’s always important to monitor your ad campaigns and A/B test different images, copy, and types of buttons.
Advertising a contest or giveaway is even better. Consumers love playing games. Having a chance to win free things will generate more clicks, likes, shares, and overall traffic. Interactive posts also build brand recognition and trust. Winning a contest is memorable, and your customers will respond by visiting your store more often.
Optimize Your Father’s Day Promotions and Sales with KORONA POS!
Using a great retail point of sale system makes designing promotions easier and more effective. With inventory management, ordering suggestions, product analysis, and detailed sales reports, you’ll be able to see exactly how successful each marketing campaign really is.
Check out KORONA POS with a free trial. It’s fast, easy to get set up, and comes with no commitments or strings attached. Plus, one of our product specialists will give you a virtual tour so you can see how our features will improve your retail business.
To learn more about other holiday marketing strategies, click on our other guides below:
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FAQs: Father’s Day Marketing
Promote Father’s Day by sending out email campaigns with gift ideas. You can also bundle products to make enticing gifts to display in your storefront and website!
The objective of Father’s Day is to show appreciation and honor all the father figures in our lives. Many families give gifts to their fathers and grandfathers and celebrate by spending time together. Father’s Day is observed in over a dozen countries around the globe.
It is best to start advertising a month in advance. There are many consumers that prefer to shop very early. However, the majority of consumers will begin shopping between 1-3 weeks before Father’s Day.
