Poor Dad! Fewer Consumers Buy Gifts for Pops on Father's Day than for Mom on Mother's Day

AUSTIN, Texas, June 2, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Don't let another year go by without giving dad his due! RetailMeNot (www.retailmenot.com), the largest digital offers destination in the United States, conducted a survey with The Omnibus Company (www.omnibus.com) that finds dads may continue to get the short end of the stick this year, as more people buy Mother's Day gifts for mom than Father's Day gifts for dad (86%* vs. 77%). This gift buying behavior is consistent with findings from the 2013 Father's Day Shoppers Trend Report, which revealed more than half (58%) of dads feel they spend more money on their partners for Mother's Day than their significant others typically spend on them for Father's Day.

Are we phoning it in for our fathers?

According to the 2014 Father's Day edition of the RetailMeNot Shoppers Trend Report, not only do more people buy gifts for mom on her big day, but they also put more effort into making her gifts special. In fact, 20% of people admit they are more creative with gifts for their mom on Mother's Day than their dad on Father's Day.

To pour salt on the wound for dear old dad, more than 11% of people surveyed admit they have forgotten to wish their dad a Happy Father's Day in the past. Additionally, 20% of respondents think it's acceptable to wish dad a Happy Father's Day via text or email.

One in 10 survey respondents feel that if they see their dad on Father's Day, they don't need to get him a gift; only 6%* feel the same way about Mother's Day.

Is perception reality?

Year after year, dads seem to get less attention than moms on their respective holidays. Nearly half (48%) of those surveyed believe people spend more on moms for Mother's Day than on dads for Father's Day. According to the survey, however, the average spend on both parents isn't too far apart: Survey respondents say they spend $61 on Father's Day gifts and $68 on Mother's Day gifts.

According to the survey, on average, shoppers buy their dad a Father's Day gift two weeks in advance of the holiday.** Of those who buy gifts, more than 6 in 10 (63%) make these purchases in-store – far fewer buy gifts online (21%) or make them (14%). Nearly 2 in 10 (17%) consumers look for coupons, discounts or sale-priced items when purchasing a gift for their dad on Father's Day.

Dad's most-desired gifts

According to the survey, the items at the top of dads' Father's Day wish lists this year are gift cards (17%) and quality time spent with family (17%). Last year, quality time with family beat out gift cards for the top spot (26% quality time vs. 20% gift cards).***

Far fewer dads are hoping to receive home improvement products (3%), video game systems or games (3%) or sports lessons (1%) this year.

Is he a gadget guy?

Over half (56%) of consumers surveyed say their dad is interested in technology products. The top technology product brand consumers think dad is most interested in is Apple (33%), beating out Windows (29%), Android (26%), and budget-friendly brands like Insignia (25%) and Samsung (24%).

When it comes to new technologies, dads surveyed say they are most excited about smart TVs, automotive technologies found in connected cars and vehicles with park assist and wireless sound systems for the home.

The top descriptors survey respondents use to describe their dads are "outdoorsy" (15%), "sports fanatic" (14%), "intellectual" (11%) and "grill master" (11%). They are far less likely to describe their dad as being "fashionable" (4%).

"Shopping for a guy who says he just wants to spend quality time together may prove to be a tiny bit difficult," says Katie Linendoll, tech-expert and contributor for The Real Deal by RetailMeNot. "This year I encourage you to kick it up a notch by putting a little extra thought and effort into giving dad a gift that really connects with his interests." 

To find the perfect gift for any type of dad, shoppers can visit the RetailMeNot Father's Day ideas page (www.retailmenot.com/ideas/fathersday) to browse Father's Day gift guides and search products paired with coupons. For tech and novelty gift ideas, visit The Real Deal by RetailMeNot for Katie Linendoll's top picks for dad.

* Mother's Day data is from RetailMeNot's May Survey 2014.
** Father's Day gift data refers to Americans who currently have their father in their life.
*** Last year's Father's Day data is from RetailMeNot's 2013 Grads and Dads Survey.

Report Methodology

About the Father's Day Survey 2014

The June survey was conducted between April 22 and April 29, 2014, among 1,009 U.S. residents ages 18 and over, using an email invitation and an online survey. Quotas are set to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the entire U.S. population ages 18 and over.

Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. 

In this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3.1 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample. The margin of error for any subgroups will be slightly higher.

About RetailMeNot.com

RetailMeNot.com (www.retailmenot.com) is the largest digital offers destination in the United States. Our mission is to help consumers save money and enjoy a hassle-free discount shopping experience. Since November 2006, our users have shared hundreds of thousands of digital offers from retailers and brands. Digital offers are rated and ranked by users, ensuring that quality deals rise to the top and expired offers drop down the list. RetailMeNot.com is operated by RetailMeNot, Inc., the world's largest marketplace for digital offers.

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About RetailMeNot, Inc.
RetailMeNot, Inc. (www.retailmenot.com/corp/) operates the world's largest marketplace for digital offers. The company enables consumers across the globe to find hundreds of thousands of digital offers from their favorite retailers and brands. During the twelve months ended March 31, 2014, RetailMeNot, Inc. experienced more than 590 million visits to its websites.  In 2013, RetailMeNot estimates $3.5 billion in its paid retailer sales were attributable to consumer traffic from digital offers in its marketplace.  Its mobile apps have been downloaded over 16 million times. The RetailMeNot, Inc. portfolio includes www.RetailMeNot.com, the largest digital offer marketplace in the United States; www.RetailMeNot.ca in Canada; www.VoucherCodes.co.uk, the largest digital offer marketplace in the United Kingdom; www.Deals.com in Germany; www.Actiepagina.nl, a leading digital offer site in the Netherlands; Bons-de-Reduction.com and www.Ma-Reduc.com, leading digital offer sites in France; www.Poulpeo.com, a leading digital offer site with cash back in France; and www.Deals2Buy.com, a leading digital offer site in North America. RetailMeNot, Inc. is listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange under the ticker symbol "SALE." Investors interested in learning more about the company can visit: http://investor.retailmenot.com/.

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SOURCE RetailMeNot.com