We say Father’s Day, you say, “Helllloooo, big spenders”?
OK. Not exactly. Father’s Day may not be the most lucrative holiday of the year, but consumers are still dropping significant cash on Dad — about $12.7 billion according to estimates last year from the National Retail Federation.
Much of that money is going toward gifts that fall well within the range of a retail florist and gift shop (apparel, cards, gardening supplies and more). With more than 75 percent of Americans planning to celebrate Father’s Day, and the average person spending more than $115, the time to start promoting those goods is now.
At A Floral Boutique Florist in Ormond Beach, Florida, Rick Rivers said he’s not willing to write off the event, or cede it to the tie manufacturers of the world. This year, he’s partnering with a local barbecue restaurant for a gift card-planter combination called “Dad’s the Best!”
“For Father’s Day, sales go up and down,” he said, noting he’s experienced a slight increase in spending over the past two years (about 4 percent).
The combination of gift card and gardening puts Rivers in line to benefit from some of the key spending categories for Father’s Day, as outlined by NRF:
- Apparel, $1.7 billion
- Gadgets, $1.6 billion
- Gift cards, $1.8 billion
- Greeting card, $777 million
- Home improvement or gardening supplies, $710 million
- New tools or appliances, $668 million
- Personal care items, $684 million
- Sporting goods or leisure items, $665 million
- Books or CDs, $538 million
Still, more than Father’s Day, there’s another early summer event that Rivers says promises lots of potential for florists: dance recitals.
“About five years ago, we went after them and have seen double digit increases every year,” he said, noting that, in his area, most of the recitals take place in the first half of June (ahem, get thee to Facebook now to promote your options). “Last year, we did 11 in eight days, or about $3,500 in wrapped bouquets.”
