Valentine’s Day has long been celebrated as a day of romance: an opportunity to treat your Valentine to a fancy dinner, a special flower delivery, or a mini break somewhere out of town. But to some, a Valentine just means someone near and dear to their heart. Not every Valentine is the same. It's not always a wife, a husband, a boyfriend or girlfriend. After wrapping up a very insightful 2013 end of year Holiday Study, TrendSource got back out there to get some shopper insights from this year’s batch of Valentine’s Day consumers! So what did respondents have to say?
While 66% of respondents said they have a Valentine this year, 32% said they don’t plan to spend any money on Valentine’s Day (an 8% increase in respondents cutting Valentine’s Day gifts from their holiday spending over last year). Of the 68% actually planning to spend money this Valentine’s Day, 37% said that their budget included someone other than a Valentine. We needed to know, who did the 37% plan to spend their hard earned cash on if not their Valentine?
Of those shopping for gifts this Valentine’s Day, greeting card purchases dominated the shopping category again this year, with candy/chocolate trailing behind at 29%. Shockingly, only 7% of respondents are planning to buy flowers for their loved one.
So where are shoppers planning to get those Valentine’s Day gifts? 33% of respondents are planning to shop at a retail store, 20% are heading to a grocery store, 15% are planning a visit to a specialty store and 8% of consumers are planning purchases at a convenience store, leaving 24% of consumers clutching their wallets…holding on to their budget for another holiday season perhaps? When we surveyed the shopping habits of these Valentine’s Day consumers, we found that 65% will be shopping in-store vs. 10% shopping online and 25% are planning to shop both in-store and online for their holiday gifts.
Many are planning an intimate dinner at home, a casual night on the town or a lavish meal at an upscale restaurant. Apart from the 25% with no plans for a Valentine’s Day meal, looks like a common way to spend Valentine’s Day is by enjoying a comfy evening at home with loved ones. But of those who are planning to dine out at a restaurant, 24% are looking for a casual dining environment vs. 8% looking for that fine dining experience.
Are these results in line with what you are hearing on the streets (and with your own plans)? Let us know in the comments below.
From all of us here at TrendSource…
Methodology: TrendSource surveyed U.S. wINput users between January 22nd and February 5th. Results represent a total of 205 -240 respondents (response rates differ by question). All respondents opted in to respond voluntarily.
