Millennial fathers are bucking historical stereotypes, sending a clear message: a new generation of dads is here, and we’re changing things up. The evidence of how dramatically things are shifting shows up in surprising places, including how millennial dads approach buying gifts for their children.

Dads in this generation stand out for their zeal for retail, according to a study of 1,000 U.S. based millennial parents conducted by NMI, an embedded payments provider. They’re more enthusiastic about shopping in-store at small businesses than moms, more likely to embrace the nostalgia of the holiday shopping season, and bigger spenders: 35% of millennial dads say they’re spending $500 or more on each kid!

But this holiday season, browsing for gifts isn’t all just twinkle lights and holiday cheer for this big-spending holiday white whale. He still faces shopping woes, and retailers are failing to address them.

What drives Dad’s holiday dollars

Every Millennial knows the classic jokes, we avoid phone calls, happily pay $8 for lattes, and have no problem tacking on an extra $10 to get pizza delivered. And Millennial dads aren’t doing much to debunk the myths. If anything, they’re leaning in, spending generously and choosing convenience every time.
Beyond the fact that more than a third of these dads will spend over $500 per child, they’re also more willing to pay for ease. Eighty-two percent (82%) say convenience is worth paying extra for (vs. 68% of moms). And if things aren’t convenient? They’re out. Fifty-five percent (55%) say they’ll abandon a purchase if the in-store line is too long (vs. 47% of moms).

Retailers don’t want them to walk away. Why would they? These dads are willing to shell out the big bucks, even though over half (55%) say their holiday shopping budgets have tightened over the last year, and 56% feel pressure to make every dollar count. Just imagine the shopping sprees once this group feels secure in their finances. And that may happen sooner than expected: studies show Millennials are on track to be the richest generation in history.

If retailers want their loyalty and their hard-earned dollars, they need to figure out what makes these dads tick.

Why young dads still love brick-and-mortar

There’s a long-standing TV trope familiar to anyone who’s watched The Simpsons, Everybody Loves Raymond, or King of Queens: the wife shops while the bored husband complains and begs to go home. But NMI’s findings suggest that real life might look a little different.

In fact, Millennial mothers may dread heading to the mall even more than fathers in this age group. Sixty-seven percent (67%) of moms say they prefer holiday shopping online in order to avoid long lines and crowds, compared to 61% of dads. And when it comes to time spent shopping, Millennial dads are keeping pace — if not slightly outshopping moms. Forty-one percent (41%) of dads say they’ll spend 20 or more hours on holiday shopping this year, compared to 39% of moms. They’re also surprisingly enthusiastic about in-store shopping, driven by both practical benefits and emotional nostalgia.

Practically speaking, they’re more likely than moms to value help from store associates (29% vs. 19%) and the convenience of quick, in-person returns (33% vs. 23%).

It’s possible that buying their first Blink-182 T-shirt at Hot Topic ignited a lifelong love of the mall, though that’s not what the survey uncovered. What it did show is that the “good old days” clearly play a role: 76% of dads say holiday shopping brings joy and nostalgia (compared to 70% of moms). Nearly half (46%) say festive decorations are one of the best parts of shopping in brick-and-mortar stores, and 37% even consider holiday shopping in-store a fun family outing, something fewer moms agree with (29%). These dads also champion shopping locally: 29% say small businesses are a big reason they head in-store, compared to 22% of moms. Another study shows Millennials more broadly are some of small businesses’ biggest fans, which only strengthens that trend.

For small business owners who felt a lull this Small Business Saturday, even as consumers insist they love shopping small, it’s natural to wonder how to get these young, high-spending dads through the door. The good news? Millennial dads are pretty clear about what they want: 72% say local shops need to offer the same modern checkout options (like contactless payments and Buy Now, Pay Later) as they’re used to at big-box retailers.

Where retailers fail Dad

Adobe found that GenAI-driven traffic to retail sites rose 805% on Black Friday year-over-year. And I’d wager a good portion of that spike came from Millennial dads. Seventy-four percent (74%) of Millennial dads say that finding the right gifts can create so much stress that it puts a damper on the holiday season. With this context, it’s not surprising that this demographic is more than twice as likely as Millennial moms to opt for AI-driven product recommendations and chatbots when shopping for the holidays (45% vs. 22%).

That’s not the only area where Millennial dads outpace moms for their love of convenient retail tech. They’re significantly more interested in ultra-convenient options like contactless checkout when shopping in store (57% vs. 42%) and subscription-based gifts (33% vs. 17%). What’s more, 79% say they’d opt to do all their shopping at retailers that provide technology to skip lines, and 73% say they’re more likely to shop in-store at places that offer frictionless payments (vs. 63% of moms).

However, most feel retailers haven’t fully stepped up to the plate. Eighty-three percent (83%) say they wish retailers provided more innovative, time-saving perks. All of which shows that, for all the nostalgia and holiday spirit, the real key to unlocking the average Millennial dad’s $500 holiday budget is giving him what he’s always loved most: convenience.

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