Millennial dads are the future of retail

Millennial dads could be the future of retail.

According to a recent report from Mintel, young dads could be extremely profitable to retailers and companies should start marketing to them.

Men stereotypically dislike shopping, but it turns out that changes when they have kids.

Young dads actually like shopping with their children. In fact, Mintel highlights how they prefer to shop for their kids over shopping for themselves.

They see value in shopping with their kids.

"Millennial dads view shopping with their kids as a way to bond and teach them valuable lessons," the report says.

Don't believe that men could like shopping? Just look at this data that Mintel collected this past fall:

But many retailers appear to be casting young dads aside. Mintel points out that dads are often after-thoughts to mothers, who stereotypically do the family shopping.

Retailers are already obsessed with millennial moms, as Business Insider's Hayley Peterson recently wrote.

Many companies have been working hard to hook young moms. Chick-fil-A has launched a "Mom's Valet" service, which assists parents in getting high chairs and tables ready for their kids when dining in. Meanwhile Starbucks locations in the UK have been stocking their stores with baby goods like diapers, and teaching their employees to safely warm milk bottles.

Some retailers are starting to realize the importance of the young dad market, however. The report highlighted a store in Portland, Oregon called Seahorses, which set out to capture dads with in-store experiences like classes (and there was free Wi-Fi, too).

Millennials, who are ages 18-34, make up a massive demographic. According to data from the Pew Research Center, they've recently surpassed baby boomers as the largest generation.