Father's Day - What Will Shoppers Be Buying?

Father's Day gift buying is about to take off, and most gifts this year—59 percent of purchases—will be bought online, according to a recent survey conducted by PriceGrabber, an online shopping site. Shoppers also anticipate spending an average $173 on gifts, which leads us to wonder what will shoppers be buying? CJ Network sales data yields great insights about shopping behavior and based on 2012 network sales data we have three predictions.

Electronics and Tools Still Most Popular

We predict that Father's Day gifts will continue to strike a balance of fun yet practical and that tools and small electronics will again be the most popular gifts. In 2012, sales in the Computer & Electronics category were up 40 percent in the week before Father's Day and Home & Garden category retailers saw a 12 percent increase. Retailers in these categories know how to help shoppers find an appropriate gift by creating helpful buying guides. Publishers should seek out links for Father's Day electronics and tool buying guides and promote them to their site visitors, as it is content that will resonate with shoppers in early June. Conversely, advertisers who have buying guides on their sites should make links for publishers to use so they can send shoppers directly to these tools.

Peak Shopping Day

Monday, June 10 will likely be the day many shoppers commit to their Father's Day purchases. The click and buying behavior for Father's Day mimics what we see in the network for Valentine's Day and Mother's Day, namely a lot of click activity in the two weeks ahead of the holiday and then a big rush of sales the last week. Publishers who anticipate this sales onslaught can maximize sales by upping their exposure of all things related to Father's Day on this day, namely tools, auto accessories, athletic apparel, consumer electronics, and sporting goods. Sales on the Tuesday and Wednesday before Father's Day last year were also solid, and will likely be even stronger this year due to increased consumer confidence in shipping reliability.

Men's Apparel Will Sell (Think Casual)

Lastly, sales in the Men's apparel category in the days leading up to Father's Day were up 10 percent week over week, showing that clothing gifts for Dad are still popular, but trending toward casual. Retailers selling apparel that cross-over from being outdoorsy to casual work wear saw the greatest growth overall, along with advertisers who sell sporting apparel and team gear. Publishers can attract (and help) these shoppers by featuring banner and deals showcasing men's casual apparel and sports gear. Apparel purchases, on the whole, are highly considered—73 perent of apparel shoppers consult up to 5 sites before buying, according to data from Compete and their primary focus is finding the best deal. With that in mind, publishers can yield higher conversions by highlighting apparel sales and coupons prominently.