Father’s Day spending is forecast to reach £1.3bn in 2026, up 3% year on year, according to the latest findings from retail and shopper marketing agency Savvy.
Based on a representative sample of 1,000 UK shoppers, the research found that while spending is still expected to increase, Father’s Day is projected to record the slowest growth of any major calendar event tracked by Savvy so far this year.
Alastair Lockhart, insight director at Savvy, commented: “Slower sales growth reflects a significant fall in consumer confidence in recent months, and the fact that Father’s Day retail activations find themselves in the shadows of World Cup activity in-store. No doubt many fathers will, however, be keen to watch a little football as part of their celebrations on Sunday, June 21.
“For retailers, the World Cup could provide an unexpected boost to Father’s Day spending. With matches taking place later in the day, celebrations may extend beyond the traditional lunch occasion and into the evening, creating additional opportunities for food and drink purchases as families gather to watch the football together.”
Savvy’s findings suggest that many shoppers are focusing on celebrations at home – a trend seen across all major calendar occasions this year, including Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Easter – as families continue to be deterred by the rising cost of eating out.
Seven in 10 (71%) people planning to celebrate Father’s Day said they intended to have a meal at home, with 53% saying they will be looking out for limited-edition or exclusive food and drink products, while 51% intended to purchase more premium food and drink items for the occasion.
Gift inspiration is increasingly coming from a mix of digital and physical channels. Savvy’s survey found that Amazon is now a key retail source of inspiration, used by 50% of shoppers planning to celebrate Father’s Day, closely followed by supermarkets at 48%.
AI is also becoming part of the shopping journey. Half of shoppers (50%) agreed that AI makes it easier to find inspiration for Father’s Day, while 45% expected to use AI tools to generate gift ideas.
Social media plays an important role too, with 46% reporting that they had already seen Father’s Day gift ideas on social platforms. Nearly half (48%) said they were likely to buy something they discovered through their social media feed, and short-form video content such as TikTok influenced 44% of shoppers.
Greeting cards remain the most popular Father’s Day gift, with 50% of shoppers planning to buy one, followed by chocolates (33%), clothes (28%) and beer (25%). Wine (18%), aftershave (16%), homemade gifts (16%), and gadgets or electrical products (14%) complete the most popular gift choices.