Father’s Day Expected To Generate $2.5 Billon In Clothing Sales

This Father’s Day, nearly four in 10 children will venture where no father wants to go: the department store. And to prove their dads really are the world’s greatest, they’ll buy what few dads like to shop for: clothes.

Photo: Getty

Or do they? The findings are among
the results of a National Retail Federation survey, which indicates
Father’s Day spending in 2019 will reach nearly $140 per person, on average,
for a total of $16 billion. The figure represents a 70% increase ($6.6 billion)
from a decade ago.

But perhaps more surprising than the marked increase in spending are the people most likely to purchase the men’s apparel and related items: other men. And not by a little. Men are expected to spend an average of $160.74 for dad, compared with $118.29 in spending by women.  In total, purchases of men’s clothing are expected to reach $2.5 billion for Father’s Day.

A look at broader trends, from the influence of
technology to our general health, helps to explain why.

The Evolution Of Father’s Day: A Man-Splaining

First
off, we must bury old misconceptions about men not caring about their
wardrobes. Today’s man spends more on apparel than his dad did, period. The
expectation that men will buy clothes as Father’s Day gifts is, therefore,
logical.

But the uptick in Father’s Day spending, whether it’s for
clothes, golf clubs or “World’s Greatest Dad” mugs, derives from various
broader factors. Here are four:

Men are living longer. Older men can expect to
live longer than their fathers, which means their children will buy more annual
Father’s Day gifts. In 2016, a 65-year-old man could expect to live an
additional 18 years, according to Centers
for Disease Control (DCD) estimates. In 2010, he could count on 16 years, and in 1990, 15 years. This may
explain why the NRF projects the biggest spenders this Father’s Day will be the
older generation’s offspring, ages 35 to 44. This group plans to shell out
nearly $200 for dad. (The NRF does not break out male/female spending in this
age group, but considering men are expected to spend more overall implies those
ages 35 to 44 will spend more, as well.)Men aren’t making as
many babies. Americans are having fewer kids, and have been for a number of years. Figures
released in January by the CDC show 1,766 births per 1,000
women (1.77 babies each), compared with 1,862 in 2014. What’s that? You
think that means there will be fewer fathers for whom to buy gifts? Maybe in a
decade or so, but right now that means a lot of men, especially men in their late
20s, have more money to save and to spend on other people, like dad. The
average age of a first-time father is 31 (compared with 27 in 1972), and the
number of men having babies in their 40s is twice as high as it was in the 1970s. More people are
watching them. Social media platforms, Instagram in particular, play a role in men
placing more emphasis on their appearances. Designers have picked up on this
thread, expanding their offerings to suit men’s lifestyles beyond the workplace
— to streetwear, athleticwear and casualwear (explaining the popularity of men’s sweatpants). Back in 2016, the PR
agency Boutique @ Ogilvy released survey results that suggested sales
of men’s apparel would outpace those of women’s in 2017 — 8.3% to 4.2%. On
a monthly basis, that came out to $85 for men and about $75 for women. The
trend has since continued: The market research firm Euromonitor forecasts sales
of men’s clothing is outpacing that of women’s, at a compounded annual growth rate of 2% from 2017 through 2022.
There are easier
options. Study after study has supported that men approach shopping like it’s a git-r-done
task. They don’t browse much; just find what they already know they need and
finish the job. Online retailers are appealing because they step right into the
man’s path, removing the requirements to drive, park and wait in line. If it’s
an easy-to-navigate site, the male shopper just has to search (dark blue
sweaters, medium), click and purchase. Even Amazon, which is not the
easiest-to-navigate site for apparel, lands more male than female clothes shoppers.
A study by CPC Strategy found that 56% of men are more likely to buy clothing from Amazon,
compared with 53% of women.

This last shopping trend is further supported
by the National Retail Federation’s Father’s Day research. It shows that after
department stores, men are most likely to buy their gifts online — 34% said
they would. Nearly 40% of men are expected to use their mobile devices to
research Father’s Day products, potentially to make that dreaded department
store trip shorter.

Hey, the world’s greatest dads didn’t raise a
bunch of dummies, right?

This article
originally appeared in  Forbes . Follow me on  Facebook  and  Twitter  for more on retail, loyalty and the customer
experience.