Survey: Father’s Day beats Mother’s Day when it comes to gift-giving

More consumers plan to celebrate Mother’s Day, but that doesn’t mean they will do so by buying gifts.

Nearly nine in 10 consumers (88%) say they will celebrate Mother’s Day, compared to 79% for Father’s Day, according to a survey by Numerator. But 57% of Father’s Day celebrators plan to purchase gifts, compared to 52% for Mother’s Day.  (This year, Mother’s Day falls on May 14, and Father’s Day on June 18.)

About one-third of consumers expect inflation to impact their holiday celebrations and shopping. To save money, consumers say they will buy items on sale (43% of Mother’s Day and 42% of Father’s Day celebrators), use more coupons (21% Mother’s Day, 23% Father’s Day), and prepare budget-friendly foods (19% Mother’s Day, 22% Father’s Day).

For both holidays, 32% of celebrators said they will not take any cost-saving measures.

• Besides gift giving, the top celebration plans for Mother’s Day include attending or hosting parties (31%), going out for food / drinks (30%), and cooking / baking (23%).  Father’s Day plans include grilling or barbecuing (42%), cooking / baking (34%), and going out for food / drinks (27%).

Other findings from the survey are below.

• Three-quarters of moms (and those who identify as mother figures) prefer to celebrate with quality time with family, compared to 51% of dads (and father figures) who said the same.

• Gift cards will account for more than one-third of all gifts. While flowers and plants are the most popular gift choice for Mother’s Day (44% of celebrators), gift cards are a close second at 38% of consumers. For Father’s Day, gift cards top the list, with 35% planning to buy.

• Alcohol is nearly twice as likely to be purchased for Father’s Day than Mother's Day. Twenty-seven percent of celebrators plan to purchase alcoholic beverages for Father’s Day, compared to 14% of Mother’s Day celebrators.

• Among those planning to buy alcohol for Father’s Day, the top choices are beer (61% planning to buy), spirits (37%), and wine (33%). For Mother’s Day, the top choices are wine (58%), beer (36%), and champagne (25%).

Numerator is a data and tech company serving the market research space. Its 2023 “Q2 Holiday Intentions Survey” was fielded to 2,650 consumers in April.