Petra Blog

Upcoming holidays and events retailers need to plan for

Written by Kathy Anderson | Apr 9, 2019 5:00:00 AM

Q2 holiday spending statistics and what they mean for your store

There are 5 upcoming holidays and celebrations: Easter, Mother’s Day, Graduation Day, Memorial Day, and Father’s Day. Each has its own unique set of consumer spending statistics. Armed with these insights, you can stock your store’s shelves with the most popular categories—and generate more sales.

Easter

According to the National Retail Federation, eight out of 10 people celebrate Easter in some kind of way. The average spending per person for Easter gifts is around $150.00, with an estimated total of $18.2 billion being spent.

What will they buy with that $150.00?

  • 89% buy candy
  • 87% buy food
  • 61% buy gifts,
  • 48% buy clothing
  • 46% buy greeting cards
  • 42% buy decorations
  • 39% buy flowers

Where will they shop?

  • 59% at discount stores, with women more likely than men to visit
  • 46% at department stores
  • 28% online
  • 25% at specialty stores
  • 25% at small businesses or local stores
  • 11.6% specialty clothing store
  • 2.7% catalog

A study conducted by TopCashback.com has a little different spin as this infographic shows:

Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is of the most sentimental holidays of the year, and Americans aren’t afraid to show their love. The National Retail Federation reports that 86% of Americans celebrate Mother’s Day. Those buying gifts for Mother’s Day will spend about $180.00 per person, with an estimated total of $23.1 billion being spent.

What will they buy with that $180.00?

  • 77% buy greeting cards
  • 69% buy flowers
  • 55% buy dinner, brunch or a special outing
  • 45% buy gift cards
  • 36% buy clothing
  • 34% buy jewelry
  • 24% buy personal services like a spa day
  • 19% buy housewares or gardening tools
  • 19% buy books or music
  • 14% buy consumer electronics

Incidentally, 29% of mothers want to receive a gift experience. And it’s most likely to be given by 18- to 34-year olds.

Graduation Day

Whether it’s graduation from high school or college, marking this rite of passage is important to American families. The National Retail Federation approximates that those buying graduation gifts will spend $102.00 each, with a total of $5.2 billion spent.

What will they buy with that $102.00?

  • 55% give cash
  • 43% give greeting cards with cash inside
  • 32% give gift cards
  • 14% give clothing
  • 19% give electronics

A developing trend is that fellow graduates give each other gifts. And although the average is $102.00, those between the ages of 18 to 24 will spend almost $74.00, ages 45 to 54 will spend nearly $120.00 and grandparents will spend about $107.00.

Memorial Day

As the unofficial kickoff of summer, Memorial Day weekend is a great time to travel as well as shop. Adweek.com indicates that eight in 10 US adults might spend an average of $486.00 each over the long holiday weekend. And that men will spend more when it comes to shopping for Memorial Day gifts—$608.00; women—$398.00.

Top kinds of retail stores

  • Electronics stores: 56% of men will shop in electronics stores; 31% of women
  • Apparel stores: 72% of women will shop at an apparel store; 56% of men

Where will they shop?

  • 93% will do some shopping in stores
  • 50% will shop only or mostly in stores

It’s also interesting to note that 45.5% of those 18 years or older are more likely to take advantage of Memorial Day retailer sales and promotions. Nearly 60% of them will be 18- to 34-year-olds.

Father’s Day

Father’s Day has grown to encompass not only dads and stepdads but also husbands and sons. 77% of Americans celebrating this holiday, according to the National Retail Federation. Shoppers will spend an estimated $133.00 per person on Father’s Day gifts for a total of $15.3 billion. Those between the ages of 25 and 34 will spend the most, at $188.00 per person.

What will they buy with that $133.00?

  • 63% will buy greeting cards
  • 47% will buy a special outing gift like a concert, sporting event or dinner (especially popular as a gift from those 18 to 24 years of age)
  • 43% will buy clothing
  • 42% will buy gift cards
  • 22% will buy books or music
  • 20% will buy consumer electronics
  • 19% on personal care products
  • 16% will buy home improvement supplies, 16% tools or appliances, 16% sporting goods or leisure items and 16% automotive accessories

Where will they shop?

  • 39% will go to a department store
  • 35% will shop online
  • 25% will visit a discount store
  • 24% will visit specialty stores

Q2 upcoming holidays and consumer spending

Memorial Day weekend is the big winner when it comes to per-capita spending. This is probably because those purchases are big-ticket items, embrace home improvement needs, and include prep for summertime fun. The 3-day holiday weekend is also the time customers shop more at brick-and-mortar stores. So be sure to run promotions across all media platforms to highlight special deals and sale items.

These holiday surveys also show that gifts of experience are trending upward. Do not overlook this possibility, especially if you want to bring Gen Zs and Millennials into your store. If your business is not in a position to actually offer one, collaborate with others to provide that unforgettable gift.

Regardless of the seasonal celebration, consumer shopping is alive and well. Stock what they’re looking for. Keep in mind that the total dollar amount they spend per holiday will be split between a variety of shopping venues.  And to freshen your retail shelves, be sure to check out order.petra.com! Our product collections not only encompass all Q2 holidays but the rest of the year as well.