Alex Dalland
Australian retailers are likely to be swarmed by customers following massive Father’s Day sales, but not in the way they hoped.
U.S Statistics from sales analytics group The Retail Equation found that customers exchanging or refunding products rises significantly following Mother’s Day, and even more so following Father’s Day – meaning that sales staff are in for a busy trading period, following Australia’s Fathers Day celebrations last Sunday.
According to the data, men’s apparel and watches were the most returned items – with apparel returns rising 127 per cent in the two weeks following Father’s Day than in the two week leadup. In contast, Mum’s return rate on apparel products increases two weeks after by only 27 per cent.
“There is always going to be a high rate of return following any special gift-giving celebration,” Russell Zimmerman, Executive Director of the Australian Retailers Association says.
“Most retailers gear up and expect a high rate of return. Customers who buy gifts usually find that most retailers have a good return policy, but we usually advise customers before the holiday to check with the retailer first, as policies can vary.”
The retail sector has experienced some difficulty in past months, with data recently released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics showing retail trade in Australia experienced a 0.1 per cent fall in July, falling short of analyst expectations of a 0.4 per cent rise.
