A review of the hottest Father’s Day gift trends 2015 had to offer, and what we expect to see do well for Father’s Day 2016.                                                

Father’s day has been and gone for 2015 and it was the retailers that ‘started early’ that reaped the most rewards. For Mother’s Day, peak sales occur one week before the actual holiday. Men are more likely to be doing last minute shopping to buy flowers and gifts for their Wives and Mums, while for Father’s Day it’s mainly women who are purchasing gifts for Husbands and Dads. Women typically plan further ahead, and make their purchases sooner, which would explain the difference in purchasing behaviour. For this reason the highest revenue period is two weeks prior to Father’s Day; therefore being ready early was and is vital.

So read our Top 5 Gift Trends for Father’s Day 2015 and see some of our tips for next year!

NUMBER 5 – EXPERIENCES AND GETAWAYS

In the last couple of years, more and more companies have diversified their product offering with an experience and getaways platform. Following the Groupon model, Amazon are the latest to follow the trend with Amazon Local. Giving people experiences as gifts is a relativity new phenomenon; it gives a more personal and adventurous touch to a gift, with the flexibility of the recipient being able to choose the date of their own excursion. Intangible gifts such as this have great profitability without taking up room in the warehouse.

This trend gave retailers the opportunity to showcase the Wow factor through their stores by offering the latest London shows, city breaks and dinners at Michelin star restaurants.

NUMBER 4 – TECHNOLOGY

With rapid advances in technology, every year there will be new must have gadgets and tech. 2015 has seen a massive increase in the popularity of portable chargers for mobiles. Their main advantage is convenience; having a hybrid wallet and portable charger can capitalise on this demand. And with obesity at an all-time high, consumers are scared and highly impressionable when it comes to their health. This Mother’s Day “fitbit” was a great seller and “Jawbone” had the same effect on Father’s Day.

This Power Wallet is just what you need to keep cash safe and your smartphone charged.	This lightweight, showerproof wristband counts his steps, calories burnt and even how well he’s sleeping (no, that’s not your cue to say he snores). At night it monitors light and sound sleep and can even wake him up with a silent vibration.

NUMBER 3 – PERSONALISED GIFTS

It’s becoming more and more popular to add a personal touch to presents, and companies such as MoonPig are currently reaping the rewards. Social Media provides a platform to share hundreds of photos that create great opportunities for choosing bespoke gifts that show you care, with companies like Blurb making it a cinch to create photo books from your favourite Facebook pictures. These – among other popular new gifts such as spoof news articles, t-shirts and bottles of beer, all with a personalised spin on them – are not to be missed.

The hilarious article is officially licensed by The Sun newspaper, and cleverly features the recipient’s name, age, location, gender and favourite team incorporated into the design. The story involves the recipient becoming a surprise football signing. It’s the perfect Father’s day gift.	Keep your best memories from getting lost in your news feed and turn those favourite social media moments into a high-quality book with Blurb.

NUMBER 2 – SPORTING OCCASIONS OF 2015

Retailers have taken advantage of the close connection between Sport and Dads for many years when it comes to Father’s Day gifts. So it’s no surprise that some of the hottest gifts of 2015 were targeting those sporty Dads. 2015 brings the Rugby World Cup, Wimbledon and The Ashes; iconic events that could have been the spearhead of your sports-themed Father’s Day gifts this year. Wimbledon and Andy Murray inspire many Brits to take tennis lessons, the Rugby World Cup provides a fantastic stadium atmosphere, and England’s Cricket team were full of optimism going into The Ashes, so retailers needed to capitalise on this excitement by promoting tickets, memorabilia and replica shirts.

NUMBER 1 – STAR WARS

Star Wars is the first and one of the biggest ever movie franchises of all time, engrained in the hearts of generations of Dads. With its comeback trilogy starting this year, there are lots of great Star Wars themed gifts out there that brought a smile to a nation of Dads.

Designed like the popular droid from the hugely successful Star Wars films, the R2-D2 Car Bin will help maintain a tidy vessel, thus keeping everyone happy when travelling.	Flip burgers with the precision of a Sith Lord with these officially licensed tongs.	All your Dads favourite Star Wars books will look pretty good squeezed into these AT-AT Bookends.

WHAT ABOUT 2016?

Did you manage to catch any of these key trends for 2015? If not, there’s always next year. Here are a few of our thoughts…