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Wednesday 11th June, 2008
WHO'S THE DADDY

Shocking Survey reveals that we spend more money on mums

Supermarket retailer ASDA today (11th June) revealed a shocking survey that shoppers across the country spend less money on Fathers Day, but will spend on average £25 on Mums for Mothers Day. 

The survey revealed that families with newborn children like the novelty of Fathers Day and will celebrate the day the most, but will only spend on average £5. Yet Dads who have children between the ages of 40 and over will go out for a family meal and spend around £17.  

Mothers Day is the more celebrated day out of the two with children spending a minimum of £10 on a gifting set, while mature children will spend a minimum of £25 on flowers or pampering sessions. In 2007, the Fathers Day gift market declined by 20%, however the average spend remained static at £17.  

Dads who had children between the ages of 25 – 40 years where said to make less effort on Fathers Day by making a simple phone call rather than send a card or gift, yet kids under 25 years would go that extra mile and make his breakfast in bed or plan a special surprise. 

The survey showed that older dads would be happy with just a card rather than getting the same thing each year such as socks or a mug, while dads under 35 requested gifts like Ipods, Mobile phones and football shirts. 

The supermarket chain has this week seen sales uplifts of CD’s, car washing kits, photo frames, books, George Mr Men T-shirts and gifting products with the slogan “worlds greatest dad”,  but many Dads will be unhappy to hear that character socks sales have gone up 64% this week.  

Rebecca Tinnion ASDA’s Fathers Day buyer said: “It seems that the UK puts more thought and effort into Mothers Day, but this year we are asking children to make sure they think about their dads and give them a special thank you. 

ASDA have ordered in extra stocks of cards in the hope that customers will the break the usual trend where Mothers Day cards outsell Father’s Day cards by two to one. 

-Ends-

Notes for Editors

History of Fathers DayIn 1909 , Spokane, Washington, Sonora Smart Dodd was listening to a Mother's Day sermon. The lecture inspired her to have a special day dedicated to her father, William Jackson Smart, who had brought her up and her siblings single-handedly after their mother died. She could realize the greatness of her father and wanted to let him know how deeply she was touched by his sacrifices, courage, selflessness and love. She held the first Father's Day celebration on 19th of June 1910, on the birthday of her father. The idea soon caught on and in 1924, President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea of a national Father's Day on the petition sent to him by Dodd on the acceptance of fatherhood. In 1926, a National Father's Day Committee was formed in New York City.

However, it was thirty years later that a Joint Resolution of Congress gave recognition to Father's Day. Another 16 years passed before President Richard Nixon established the third Sunday of June as a permanent national observance day of Father's Day in 1972 in the honour of all good fathers that contribute as much to the family as a mother, in their own ways. Even before Dodd came into the picture, Dr. Robert Webb of West Virginia is believed to have conducted the first Father's Day service in 1908 at the Central Church of Fairmont. However, it was the colossal efforts of Dodd, the devoted daughter of the Civil War veteran who refused to remarry for the sake of his six children and took upon himself all the duties, love and care of a mother, that eventually led it to a national observance



 

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