Retailers Get Ready for Father’s Day

New York City, Major retailers are turning their attention to Father's Day (June 18).

By expanding shopping hours and advertising earlier and more aggressively for dad’s special day, which has lagged behind Mother's Day in the past, merchants are hoping to give the day a big sales boost.

According to the National Retail Federation's survey of 7,000 consumers, shoppers plan to spend $9 billion on Father's Day gifts, up from a planned $8.2 billion a year ago. Among the retailers actively promoting Father’s Day this year is Sears, Roebuck and Co. The company dispatched caroling dads who sang holiday jingles with Father's Day themes at malls in the New York and Chicago area. It broke its Father's Day ad campaign three weeks earlier than a year ago and is offering a special Father's Day gift card for the first time.

Home Depot Inc. has also expanded its Father's Day advertising beyond circular advertising this year, launching a television and on-line advertising campaign. Additionally, J.C. Penney Co. is opening its doors at 8 a.m. on June 17, an hour earlier than a year ago. This is a part of an effort to expand sales beyond ties and shirts to such items as iPod accessories and hand-held games.