Father’s Day Spending to Hit All-Time High

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Jun 082011
 

 

NEW YORK (MainStreet) –Dad is going to have the best Father’s Day ever this year (June 19), according to results from an annual survey conducted by the National Retail Federation.

Father’s Day spending is expected to hit an all-time high of $11 billion in 2011, the group says, and Americans will shell out an average of $106.49 on gifts for Dad – up from $94.32 last year. The number is the highest in the survey’s eight-year history. Last year, Father’s Day spending estimates totaled $9.8 billion.

The NRF attributed the increase to family members’ desire to make up for years of lackluster gifts.

“Spending on Dad has taken a backseat for the past few years, but some kids and wives are planning to make up for lost time this Father’s Day,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said in a press release. “Shoppers seem to be more excited when it comes to gift giving, an encouraging sign for retailers – and dads – everywhere.”

But even with the uptick in spending, dads still play second fiddle to moms in the gift giving department. NRF estimates from earlier this year put Mother’s Day spending at a projected $16.3 billion, with Americans spending an average of $140.73 on presents for Mom.

The NRF’s estimates are based on a survey of 8,344 consumers conducted from May 3-10. Survey results indicate that more people will be taking dad on a special outing this year, spending $2.1 billion on activities like golfing, eating out or heading to the movies.

Fathers will also receive more gift cards ($1.4 billion), sporting goods ($653 million) and automotive accessories ($593 million) this year, though traditional Father’s Day gifts like electronics ($1.3 billion), clothing ($1.4 billion), home improvement or gardening tools and appliances ($1.4 billion) and books or CDs ($598 million) are also expected to remain popular.

“Shoppers are putting more thought into Father’s Day gifts and are seeking out the perfect personal – yet practical – gift to say thank you to the man who’s always been there for them.” Phil Rist, executive vice president of strategic initiatives for BIGresearch, the market research company that conducted the survey for the NRF, said in a press release.

Holiday spending has been up across the board this year with estimates for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Easter and even St. Patrick’s Day besting 2010 numbers.

Article source: http://www.thestreet.com/story/11144978/1/fathers-day-spending-to-hit-all-time-high.html?cm_ven=GOOGLEN

 Posted by at 7:52 pm

Father’s Day Gift Ideas For Dads Who Love Music

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May 252011
 

Father’s Day Gift Ideas For Dads Who Love Music

Gift ideas for men who love music come in many different forms. No matter whether your dad loves listening to music or creating it, you’re bound to find an excellent gift to suit your father and your budget this Father’s Day.

Music Games

If your dad is the kind of guy who loves music and computer games, then there are now a huge range of music games available on the market. You could buy your dad the Rockband game and instrument controllers, or perhaps he has dreams of becoming a Guitar Hero? You can even buy dancing games if your dad enjoys a bit more activity. Just make sure he already has the console to play the games on!

Musical Instruments And Accessories

For those who can play real instruments, as well as the video game kind, you’ll probably never have a shortage of gift ideas for men on Father’s Day. For a start, you could think about any accessories he may need to go with his musical instrument. Could a digital tuner or a metronome help him out? Or maybe you could buy him a personalized guitar strap? Music stands and new guitar strings are also thoughtful and practical gift ideas for Father’s Day.

If you’re not sure exactly what he needs alongside his musical instrument then you could buy him some sheet music or songbooks instead. Think of artists or composers that he likes, and buy sheet music in the same style.

Or, for someone who has always fancied himself a musician but has never gotten around to learning, why not buy a few hours of music tuition? Despite his potential protests, you are never too old to learn a new skill! He’ll probably have a lot of fun getting started.

Think About His Musical Heroes

Anyone who is into music will usually have some musical heroes, and anything related to these heroes will make fantastic gift ideas for men. At the top of the scale, this could mean a signed photograph or album cover, or tickets to see his favorite act live in concert. If you can’t get hold of these, you might consider buying a remastered version of the artist’s music, or any albums that are lacking from your dad’s collection. You could even go out on a limb and choose music by a new act that you think he’ll really like.

Other Musical Gift Ideas

Still need more ideas?! Well thankfully there are so many for any music lover! Some other musical gift ideas for men on Father’s Day include:

* Noise canceling headphones so he can get away from everything and enjoy his music in peace,
* A new turntable to connect up to his modern music system,
* An iPod if he doesn’t have one already,
* Amazon or iTunes gift cards so that he can choose the music he wants to buy,
* Gadgets that will help him convert his old cassette tapes and records to digital MP3s.

I hope you can find some suitable gift ideas for men from the huge list above! The most important thing is that you’re thinking carefully about your dad’s interests and buying him something he’ll really appreciate!