It's the thought that counts. Right?
Dads should keep that in mind this Father's Day if they're expecting equal treatment in the parceling out of gifts compared to Mom. According to the National Retail Federation, the average consumer will spend about $115 on gifts for Dad, about the same as last year.
Meanwhile, shoppers forked out $172 each, on average, for Mother's Day gifts, $10 more than last year. It could be all that jewelry.
Overall Father's Day spending is expected to reach nearly $13 billion, the NRF said. Four in 10 people will buy clothing, while another four in 10 will opt to take Dad out somewhere. Moms were beneficiaries of $21.2 billion in total spending this year.
As a retailer, Marc Sklar pays no attention to Mother's Day. But the CEO and president of Gian Marco Menswear on North Charles Street says the shop gets a bump in business each year as Father's Day approaches.
"It's not Christmas ... but it does drive a specific portion of the business," Sklar said.
And as far as he can tell, Dad is not being neglected.
At his store, accessories and hot-weather apparel such as swimwear, sport shirts and T-shirts, "a lot of bright play clothes," all are selling well, he said.
One analyst for Prosper Insights & Analytics, which conducted the Father's Day survey for NRF, surmised that spending on Mom and Dad differs because consumers are tapped out after Mother's Day and graduation season.
Besides, analyst Pam Goodfellow notes, "Dad is a little more laid back when it comes to celebrations and gifts."