Day gifts in 2026, up from the previous record of US$199 in 2025. In total, the top five gifting categories by total spending will include special outings ($4.8 billion), clothing (US$4.1 billion), gift cards (US$3.3 billion), electronics (US$3.1 billion) and personal care (US$2.3 billion). How gift-giving on Father’s Day has shifted in recent years Neil Saunders, managing director at GlobalData, noted that while inflation plays a role in holiday spending, the real battle for retailers this season will focus on the value of experiences as much as product pricing. NRF’s research supports this trend, showing that nearly one-third of consumers (31 per cent) plan to give an experience, while 45 per cent of shoppers are interested in gifting a subscription box. “The trick here is for retailers to provide consumers with inspiration,” said Saunders. “From our research, we know people find it harder to come up with good product gift ideas for Father’s Day than they do for many other occasions.” One retailer preparing for the Father’s Day shopping rush is Ulta Beauty. The American beauty retailer has created a dedicated Father’s Day shopping tab for consumers seeking gifts and divided it into multiple price categories ($100, $50, $30, $15, and under). It also offers suggestions tailored to different father figures, ranging from new fathers and dads-to-be to husbands. Department stores such as Macy’s have been making a more concentrated effort around occasions like Father’s Day through stronger in-store activations. Similarly, big-box retailers such as Amazon, Target and Walmart continue to be popular choices for consumers because of the breadth of their offerings and their convenience. Barney Stacher, CEO of consultancy firm Stacher & Stacher, argued that while many retail observers are focused on the record spending forecast for Father’s Day 2026, the more interesting trend is the type of gifts dads are receiving. What’s changed is the definition of a good gift,” noted Stacher. “The traditional tie, mug or paperweight may be giving way to more functional purchases. In an economy where consumers are constantly evaluating value, a gift that solves a problem may feel more meaningful than one that simply sits on a shelf.” That view is supported by NRF’s survey, which found that while nearly every gift category is expected to see higher spending this year, electronics and personal care items have recorded the largest gains. “These items reflect consumers’ focus on giving dad practical and popular gifts, especially products that help make his life easier,” said Phil Rist, the organisation’s executive VP of strategy. Like Saunders, Stacher has also observed consumers spending more on experiences rather than solely buying products that end up tucked away on a shelf. “The retailers most likely to win are those that help shoppers answer the question, ‘What would Dad actually use?’ That’s good news for home improvement retailers, sporting goods stores, consumer electronics brands, specialty retailers and anyone who can connect a product to a real need, hobby or passion. The winners won’t simply be selling gifts. They’ll be selling utility, experience and relevance.” Retailers need to be clear about what lane they’re sticking to for Father’s Day Michael Lewis, founder of The RetailLAB, a fractional retail advisory firm, said one of the most common mistakes retailers make is approaching Father’s Day the same way they approach Mother’s Day. According to Lewis, that is the wrong strategy for several reasons. For one, consumers allocate significantly larger budgets to celebrating maternal figures than they do to gifting fathers. Father’s Day spending of US$28 billion compares to $US38 billion on Mother’s Day. Lewis also argued that larger holidays give retailers more flexibility to experiment with product assortments and experiential offerings. “You can afford to be in forty categories because there’s enough volume to carry a shallow position in most of them,” he said. “Mother’s Day forgives that. A smaller holiday [like Father’s Day] doesn’t. Spread thin across forty categories and you’re shallow in all of them. Commit to the two or three that fit your brand and you own the window.” Further reading: How retailers can make Mother’s Day about more than flowers and chocolates