Father's Day: five tips for retailers to sell more in 2026

Father's Day 2026, celebrated on August 9, comes in one of the most challenging semesters for commerce in recent years. The Cielo Expanded Retail Index (ICVA) showed that Brazilian retail revenue fell by 2.8% in real terms in June, the second consecutive month of worst performance for the period since the pandemic, in a context of income pressured by inflation. Still, the date remains one of the strongest windows of the second half of the year, and the reading from the previous year shows why: in the week of Father's Day 2025, calculated between August 4th and 10th, sales grew by 5.9% compared to the same period in 2024, driven by e-commerce, which increased by 8.9%, while in-person retail rose by 5.2%.

The portrait of 2025 also reveals that the date moves far beyond the gift box. Among the traditionally giftable sectors, Optics and Jewelry led, with an increase of 7.7%, followed by Furniture, Electronics and Department (3.6%) and Clothing (2.9%). But the effect of the date spilled over into segments that are not giftable, but rather celebratory consumption: Drugstores and Pharmacies grew 12% and Supermarkets and Hypermarkets, 8%. For the retailer, the message is that Father's Day is a revenue opportunity even for those who don't sell the gift itself.

The challenge, in a year in which consumers are more selective and attentive to price, is to convert the intention to give a gift into a completed sale. For Adriana Garbim, Commercial VP at Cielo, those who organize the operation in advance and reduce friction when paying come out ahead. “The Father's Day customer researches early, compares across different channels and decides quickly. If he encounters a blocked journey, with payment that doesn't work or a queue at the checkout, he switches stores. Selling well on that date, especially in a busy year, is a matter of preparation and synchronization”, he states.

With this in mind, the executive points out five moves for retailers to take advantage of the date and sustain the result beyond it:

Advance planning and scale the operation for the peak of the week

Sales are concentrated in the days leading up to the date, and consumers start researching in advance, but make purchases within a short window. Adjust inventory, staff and cash flow for this peak, ensuring the sales effort is in the right place at the right time.

Offer the payment diversity that consumers are already looking for 

Father's Day buyers tend to look for practicality and flexibility when paying, alternating between payments with Pix in cash and credit in installments in higher installments. Accepting Pix by contact and QR Code, debit, digital wallets and credit installments reduces dropouts and increases turnover. “The payment method is no longer an operational detail and has become part of the conversion. When the customer decides to buy, any barrier to paying is a lost sale”, highlights Adriana.
 

Integrate digital and physical, because online inspires and the store converts 

In 2025, the ICVA points out that e-commerce has grown almost twice as much as the physical store at that time, and the consumer no longer separates the channels. They search the app, ask questions via WhatsApp and complete the purchase in the store or via the link that arrived via message. Solutions such as the payment link with 3DS authentication close the sale within the conversation itself, with the security of traditional e-commerce and without directing the customer to a separate website when the purchase has already been decided.

Work the date categories and the sectors it drives 

In addition to the classic giftable segments, such as clothing, optics and electronics, the date heats up pharmacies, supermarkets and food, driven by family celebrations. Assembling kits, combos and combined purchase suggestions by price range helps to increase the average ticket and serve consumers who are looking for cost and affection in the same purchase.

Transform date volume into recurrence and protect cash 

In a semester of falling real consumption, the Father's Day peak needs to generate value beyond August. Take advantage of the increased flow to capture contacts and encourage future purchases. Use sales data to adjust product mix and prices in the next seasonal dates and reserve part of the revenue generated in the period to give more impetus to the months of lower demand. “Whoever enters the date looking at history and the price curve sells with more margin. And whoever uses the peak to build loyalty, transforms a seasonal sale into a relationship”, concludes the executive.