For generations, Father’s Day had a certain low-maintenance charm: Fire up the grill, grab some beer and, if you’re feeling generous, gift him a tie, a goofy mug or a new power tool. But like fatherhood itself, the holiday is evolving.
This year, Father’s Day spending in the U.S. is expected to reach a record $27.9 billion, according to an annual survey by the National Retail Federation, the nation’s largest retail trade group, and Prosper Insights & Analytics.
That would mark a 16% jump from the previous record of $24 billion set last year.
Despite economic pressures, U.S. consumers expect to spend, on average, $226.58 on Dad this holiday, compared to $199.38 in 2025, the survey found.
The biggest spending gains are in electronics and personal care items, said Phil Rist, executive vice president of strategy at Prosper Insights & Analytics. Those gifts, Rist told Straight Arrow, “help make his life easier.”
Still, because many dads are famously difficult to shop for, just over half of consumers plan to buy gift cards so fathers can pick out their own presents.
Fifty-eight percent of consumers said they’re buying clothes this holiday, and 55% said they’re planning a special outing, according to the survey.
Few go ‘all out’
Another major survey, conducted by Numerator, a market research company, found that most Father’s Day celebrators will put “moderate” effort into the holiday this year, with only 9% of respondents saying they’ll go “all out” for Dad.
That same survey found that only slightly more effort goes into Mother’s Day, with just 11% saying they go all out for Mom in May.
While many fathers will be celebrated, if only “moderately,” another big winner this June is Walmart. Forty-eight percent of consumers said they planned to buy a gift from the retail giant to celebrate Dad. Thirty-nine percent said they’ll buy something from Amazon for Father’s Day, the Numerator survey found.
Whether shopping at Walmart, Amazon or a luxury retailer, the single gift that still tops the Father’s Day list, according to the NRF, is the humble greeting card. For every dad who insists he doesn’t want anything, even if he does, sometimes the best gift of all — heartfelt words — is free.
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