Wedding Showers
The bridal shower is another occasion when retailers and vendors can connect with young consumers, whether those looking forward to their own party time or a celebration for family and friends.
For families and friends, bridal showers are in the sights of 21% of respondents to the Occasions Survey, down three points year over year. For their part, 14% of respondents were getting ready for a bridal shower in their own lives, flat to last year.
When celebrating a bridal shower, 23% of respondents said they were likely or somewhat likely to purchase a home and housewares gift consistent with 2023.
Bedroom products are the most popular home merchandise category selected by bridal shower gift givers at 34%, followed by kitchen products at 30% and bathroom or personal care products at 25%. Then, 30% of consumers would give gift cards.
When it comes to gender, 32% of women would give kitchen products versus 29% of men, but 29% of men would give bathroom products vs. 22% of women. Women edge out men when giving bedroom products at 34% to 33%, while 23% of men versus 11% of women would give cleaning or home environment products and 26% of men would give organization or home decor products versus 19% of women. Of the 30% of consumers who would choose a gift card for a bridal shower, 32% were men and 28% were women.
Regarding education, 23% of respondents with post-graduate and bachelor’s degrees anticipated participating in a friends and family bridal shower, as opposed to 19% of respondents who didn’t attend college. Then, 15% of respondents with less than a college degree expected their own bridal shower compared to 13% of both graduates and post-graduates.
The April to June timeframe is when most consumers expect to purchase a bridal shower gift, at 31%, with July to September following at 22%.
Consumers 18-34 and 35-44 both expressed the same likelihood of having their own bridal shower, at 20%, a level well above other age groups.
For your friends and family, how likely is it, if at all, that a bridal shower will take place at least once in the next 12 months?
For yourself, how likely is it, if at all, that a bridal shower will take place at least once in the next 12 months?
Respondents earning more than $100,000 were most likely to attend a family and friends bridal shower in the upcoming year at 30%, with middle-income consumers making $50,000 to $100,000 following at 22% and those earning less than $50,000 at 17%. Rural respondents led their demographic group at 21%, with both urban and suburban consumers coming in at 20%.
Consumers 35-44 are most likely to attend a family and friends bridal shower, at 29%, over the next 12 months, followed by those 18-34 at 25%, which represents a substantial year-over-year flip, with the younger of the two groups posting a 36% and the older a 29% response in the 2023 survey.
What general product categories of home and housewares gifts would you be likely to purchase for a bridal shower? (Select all that apply)
The most affluent survey respondents were the most likely to be planning their own bridal showers at 20%, while those in the middle-income group were at 14% and those in the lowest-income group were at 13%.
In the next 12 months, how likely is it, if at all, that you will purchase a home and housewares gift for a bridal shower?
In general, what time of year would you say you are most likely to purchase home and housewares gifts for a bridal shower?
By geography, urban consumers were most likely to have their own bridal shower at 16%, followed by suburbanites at 14% and rural respondents at 13%.
Final Thoughts
According to Brides.com, gift costs vary across the bridal shower spectrum, with acquaintances expected to spend at least $25, bridesmaids $50 to $75 and the maid of honor more than that. The gift is likely to reflect how elaborate the event is and how much the event costs, which could be as little as $10-15 a person in a family home, up to $50 in a modest restaurant and up to $150 if the venue is elaborate.
Of course, regional wedding expenditures have an effect as those geographies where spending on weddings tends to be above average are likely to see high spending on bridal shower gifts. The average wedding in the United States costs about $30,000, but the median cost is about $18,500, according to market researcher The Wedding Report.
Given what people expect to spend and how different that can be depending on who is involved and their circumstances, retailers and their bridal registries may want to offer gifts across a wide range of easily navigated price points so that all bridal shower gift-givers can find something appropriate and affordable.
