Move over mum! Brits spend more cash but less time on Father’s Day than Mother’s Day

Move over mum! Brits spend more cash but less time on Father’s Day than Mother’s Day

12 June 2019

Brits spend more on their dads for Father’s Day than they do for mums on Mother’s Day.  But they spend half as long doing it, according to Argos.

The leading online retailer analysed its sales data to show that the average shopper spends £56 in total celebrating their dads on their special day but manage to find a present within just four minutes – suggesting the question of what to buy dad is solved easily with a few extra pounds. 

This is in stark contrast to mums who receive a cheaper gift (£51) but one that takes longer to find – twice as long, in fact. Posing the question: are dads easier to buy for or do Brits just throw money at the problem?

On average, both mums and dads receive two gifts on their respective days, with tech and electricals proving popular for dads. For mums it’s jewellery and ornaments leading the way, showing that the extra time spent for mum is to find something sentimental that they can keep forever. 

The data also shows the emergence of the 2019 dad who prefers specialty coffee, the latest fitness equipment, and smart tech gadgets over the more traditional Father’s Day gifts such as novelty socks and cufflinks.  This year has even seen a spike in interest for hoverboards and smart watches, proving dads have raised that bar on what makes an ideal gift.

The average amount spent on each Father’s Day gift is £30, with the most popular gifts including Ab Wheels (£29.99) Amazon Fire 7 tablet (£34.99) and FIFA 19 (£29.99). 

Top 10 Father’s Day Gifts of 2019:

1. Sky Viper Stunt Drone 
2. Men's Health Ab Wheel with Footstraps
3. 4 Burner Propane Gas BBQ with Side Burner 
4. Sony MDR-ZX330BT On-Ear Wireless Headphones 
5. Citizen Black Dial Men's Stainless Steel Watch
6. Tassimo by Bosch Joy Pod Coffee Machine
7. Garmin Vivosport Smart Activity Tracker with GPS
8. Wahl Stainless Steel Multigroomer
9. L'Oreal Barber Club Complete Care Gift Set
10. Deadpool 2 DVD

An Argos spokesperson said “We found it very interesting to discover that while mums are lavished with time and affection, dads are festooned with more expensive gifts.

“The Father’s Day bestsellers so far this year are drones, BBQs and gift sets, with an increasing number of ‘self-improvement’ related gifts including fitness equipment, grooming sets and smart activity trackers – showing that people aren’t just buying gifts for dad, they’re trying to improve him!”