Ecommerce Sales: Mother’s Day vs. Father’s Day

Holidays give people a great reason to get together and celebrate each year. Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are no exception; many people take advantage of these events to honor their parents or parental figures. In addition to gathering on these special days, they show up with at least one gift in tow.

You should be particularly interested in integrating these two holidays into your yearly sales strategies. It doesn’t hurt that these holidays occur during what some might call a “slump,” at least compared to the buying frenzy of Q4. So, savvy ecommerce companies must be able to harness customers’ natural gift-buying motivations during this time if they want to boost late-spring, early-summer conversions.

But despite their similarities, these two holidays are not identical. It’s worth considering ecommerce sales for Mother’s Day vs. Father’s Day and how to approach each one.

Which Day Generates More Sales?

The question on every ecommerce marketer’s mind is: Which day generates more sales?

The National Retail Federation estimated Mother’s Day sales would reach record highs of $23.6 billion in 2017 based on their annual survey. The figure was around $21.4 billion in 2016, which was also a record at the time. Father’s Day was also on course to break records to the tune of $15.5 billion. The 2016 figure was closer to $14.3 billion.

Why might Mother’s Day bring in more money for retailers than Father’s Day does? TheStreet reports that 40 percent of people feel obligated or pressured to buy for their mom on Mother’s Day, while only 30 percent of people feel the same pressure about Father’s Day. Some of the differences stem from cultural norms, along with the nature of specific relationships with parents.

Another key difference is that marketers traditionally focused on Mother’s Day, while treating Father’s Day as more of an afterthought. But that approach is rapidly changing, especially as gender norms and expectations change. It’s clear that any comprehensive ecommerce strategy must acknowledge them both.

Which Marketing Techniques Work?

Marketing for each respective holiday means understanding the types of products most consumers are seeking. It also means understanding how to make an ecommerce website ideal for accommodating seasonal promotions—including traffic spikes, a rotating product catalogue, and special pricing. An ideal platform has unlimited bandwidth so it can handle time-sensitive promotions. That way, you can drive traffic to your website, confident it won’t crash during primetime, leaving customers disgruntled and looking elsewhere for their gifts.

One tried-and-true technique involves creating gift lists for Mom and Dad, helping customers alleviate the need to manually search your site for potential gifts. By aggregating present ideas, you’re eliminating hassle for shoppers.

According to BBC, the most popular Father’s Day presents in the U.S. include:

• Clothes
• Gift cards
• Power tools
• Personal care products
• Sporting goods
• Car-related items

If your product lineup naturally suits any of these categories, you already know what to add to your gift suggestion list. But it’s entirely possible to get creative and offer something outside-the-box, of course.

Unsurprisingly, clothing, gift cards, and personal care products are highly applicable to Mother’s Day as well. However, looking at lists of Mother’s Day recommendations, you’ll typically notice more home goods. Again, it’s totally possible to get creative with your offerings. Just make sure your marketing messages are tying into the spirit of the holiday, and make sure your website facilitates a great user experience.

Times are changing. Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are both rising stars on the ecommerce promotional calendar. Make sure you’re doing everything you can to capitalize on these days and help your customer base find the perfect gifts.