Father’s Day, a day dedicated to celebrating the amazing dads in our lives, is a prime sales opportunity for eCommerce businesses. With a little preparation and strategic planning, you can take advantage of this holiday to boost sales, acquire new customers, and solidify your brand image. Take it from us: here are some expert Father’s Day eCommerce tips to help you make the most of the holiday surge.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
4.1. Be Tactical with Your Advertising
1. When is Father’s Day?
2. What to Sell for Father’s Day?
3. Father’s Day Shopping Trends
4. Father’s Day eCommerce Planning Tips
4.2. Write Dad-Centric Content
4.3. Curate Your Catalog for Dads
4.4. Ensure Reliable (Express) Shipping
4.5. Personalize Your Email Marketing
4.6. Use Social Media Marketing for Customer Engagement
4.7. Raise Awareness with Content Marketing
4.8. Provide Exceptional Customer Service
4.9. Keep in Touch Post Purchase
When is Father’s Day?
For audiences in the US, Father’s Day typically falls on the third Sunday of June. In other parts of the world, the holiday is in March or September. This year, Father’s Day lands on June 16, 2024.
The National Retail Federation reported that 75% of consumers plan to celebrate this holiday, so expect to see a significant uptick in the 2 weeks leading up to the holiday.
What to Sell for Father’s Day?
According to a National Retail Federation survey, the most popular shopping categories include greeting cards, clothing, and special outings, with a respective 61%, 55%, and 52% of consumers purchasing.
With that being said, each dad is different, and there are many other product niches you can tap into as potential gifts.
Father’s Day Shopping Trends
The key to a successful Father’s Day sales strategy lies in understanding how consumers typically shop for Dad. As mentioned before, the comprehensive consumer survey from National Retail Federation reveals a few interesting takeaways:
- Timing: Procrastination reigns supreme. A significant portion of Father’s Day shoppers (around 43%) wait until the last minute (the week leading up to the holiday) to make their purchases.
- Spending Power: While spending might not reach Mother’s Day levels, Father’s Day still generates considerable revenue. The NRF reports a record high average spend of around $196 per dad in 2023.
- Product Preferences: Popular Father’s Day gifts encompass a wide range, including clothing (t-shirts, polos, dress shirts), electronics (gadgets, headphones, speakers), home improvement tools, sporting goods, personalized items (engraved mugs, wallets), and experiences (gift certificates for restaurants, sporting events).
- Gift-Giving Demographics: Not just for children! Spouses, significant others, adult children, and even grandchildren contribute significantly to Father’s Day shopping.
- Location: Consumers equally shop both at department stores and online (38% versus 43%), but there is a slight preference towards online shopping. This means that from the total $22.9 billion spending on Father’s Day, eCommerce brands should expect to rake in $9.8 billion.
Father’s Day eCommerce Planning Tips
Keeping in mind these actionable insights, we propose a few eCommerce tips for brands wanting to participate in this holiday:
Be Tactical with Your Advertising
Plan your promotions early, and ramp up your advertising bids slowly over the course of 2 weeks leading up to the actual holiday. Too big of a jump and you risk overbidding and lowering your return on advertising spend. Encourage early purchases with attractive discounts or promotions for those who shop ahead of the last-minute rush. Consider offering limited-time deals and flash discounts, motivating customers to act quickly and not procrastinate.
Monitor key metrics like website traffic, conversion rates, and sales figures throughout the Father’s Day campaign. Analyze this data to identify what worked well and what could be improved for future sales events.
Write Dad-Centric Content
Consider adopting a dad-centric content strategy on your Amazon brand store and listings. Feature Father’s Day-themed imagery on your Brand Store, and update your Amazon product listings with compelling copy, high-quality images, and relevant keywords related to Father’s Day. Invest in dad-themed lifestyle photos demonstrating the product in use in a familial setting to enhance relatability with Father’s Day.
Use descriptive language that resonates with the emotions and sentiments associated with celebrating fathers. Write clear, concise, and informative product descriptions that highlight features, benefits, and how the product relates to dads (e.g., “The perfect Father’s Day gift for the tech-savvy dad!”). Incorporate other relevant keywords in the product’s category for better search ranking within your store.
Pro Tip: Utilize eye-catching banners and pop-ups on your website to highlight Father’s Day promotions and curated gift collections.
Curate Your Catalog for Dads
Go through your entire catalog and pick out which items you want to highlight as a Father’s Day offering. You can have a dedicated “Father’s Day Gift Ideas” section on your Amazon Brand Store, Walmart Brand Shop, and website. Feature a curated selection of products across various price points and categories, and cater to different types of dads – the techie dad, the home improvement enthusiast, the sporty dad, the grill master, etc. Another way to encourage a higher basket size is to offer pre-assembled gift bundles that combine complementary products, creating a sense of value and convenience for shoppers.
If your business permits, consider adding a personalization option for customers. Personalization adds a special touch and makes the item a more thoughtful gift. Some personalization offers include engraving or customization options for mugs, wallets, phone cases.
Pro-tip: Merch Informer found that personalized Dad t-shirts and hoodies are the most profitable personalization niches for Father’s Day.
Ensure Reliable (Express) Shipping
If you’re a 3P seller on the FBA selling model, ensure that your packages are ready to go so they can arrive as soon as possible without delays (and without chargebacks). If you’re selling your products from your own website, consider offering free shipping for Father’s Day orders above a specific amount. Free shipping thresholds incentivize purchases and can be a significant deciding factor for many shoppers.
Don’t forget about the last-minute buyers, also. If you manage your own shipping operations, including an express shipping option with a guaranteed delivery before Father’s Day will help attract the last shoppers of the occasion.
Personalize Your Email Marketing
If you’re running email marketing, Father’s Day is a good opportunity to recapture your audience base. Based on your subscribers’ demographics data and purchase history, you can personalize your messaging and product recommendations that will suit their tastes, further improving conversion rate.
On a more general note, you can also send out mass communications regarding Father’s Day gift guides, bringing them to your pre-curated product bundles and personalization offerings.
Pro-tip: Clearly communicate your Father’s Day promotions, discounts, and shipping deadlines within your email marketing efforts to encourage action from your readers.
Use Social Media Marketing for Customer Engagement
Create engaging social media content in the weeks leading up to Father’s Day. Run contests and giveaways, share user-generated content featuring dads with your products, and post humorous or heartwarming content that resonates with your target audience.
Expand your network and partner with relevant social media influencers who resonate with your target audience. Look for influencers who align with your brand image and who have a strong following among dads or gift-givers for Father’s Day. Collaborate with them to create engaging content showcasing your products in a relatable way.
Raise Awareness with Content Marketing
Publish informative and engaging blog posts offering Father’s Day gift ideas, DIY project tutorials using your products, or heartwarming stories about fatherhood. Optimize these posts for search engines to attract organic traffic.
If you have the time and budget for it, also create short video content showcasing product demonstrations, gift ideas, or humorous skits related to Father’s Day. Utilize platforms like YouTube, Instagram Reels, or TikTok to reach a wider audience.
Provide Exceptional Customer Service
Because this is a time-sensitive purchase, customers often feel a stronger sense of urgency and might be more impatient towards delays or mistakes. As the seller, you need to provide prompt, professional, and helpful customer service throughout the shopping journey. Offer multiple communication channels (phone, email, live chat) and ensure a quick and hassle-free resolution of any inquiries or issues.
Keep in Touch Post Purchase
Use your newfound customers’ holiday purchase as an opportunity to build a long-lasting relationship with them. Send follow-up emails after purchases, thanking them for their business and offering suggestions for complementary products.
How VASO Group Helps You Seize the Father’s Day Opportunity
You can boost your eCommerce sales and establish your brand as a go-to destination for thoughtful Father’s Day gifts with just a few simple tactics. Remember, stay informed about customer buying trends, optimize your online store for a seamless shopping experience, and craft compelling marketing campaigns that resonate with your target audience. By focusing on exceptional customer service and building long-term customer loyalty, you’ll transform fleeting Father’s Day sales into lasting customer relationships.
Our account management and advertising experts are well-equipped with up-to-date industry trends and are always tracking the eCommerce market’s every move. We are there with you at all stages of your online selling journey, and will provide data-informed recommendations to help you stay ahead of the curve. Get ready to celebrate dads in style and watch your eCommerce business thrive with our partnership!
Are you ready to shine this Father’s Day? Reach out to us at VASO Group if you want even more recommendations on how to best prepare for the season.