Industry Statistics

Spending on all Valentine’s Day gifts and activities is expected to total $17.6 billion in 2012, up from $15.7 billion in 2011, $14.1 billion in 2010 and $14.7 billion in 2009.
-National Retail Federation, 2012

Valentine’s Day is the second-largest holiday for giving greeting cards, behind Christmas. Approximately 150 million greeting cards will be purchased for Valentine’s Day in 2012, down from approximately 160 million in 2011. Figures do not include chilldren’s classroom-exchange cards, which have historically boosted the numbers to around 1 billion Valentines.
-Greeting Card Association, 2012

Approximately 144 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged industry-wide (not including packaged kids’ valentines for classroom exchanges), making Valentine’s Day the second-largest holiday for giving greeting cards.
-Hallmark, 2012

In addition to the United States, Valentine’s Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, France, Australia, Denmark, and Italy.
-Hallmark, 2012

Spending on Valentine’s Day purchases was predicted to increase 5.8% in 2011. The expected increase in spending for the 2011 holiday, when compared to 2010, by category: Flowers, +16.8%; Jewelry, +11.3%; Romantic Getaways, +5.7%; Candy, +5.1%; Greeting Cards, +4.9%; Dining Out, +3.8%; Clothing and Lingerie, +3.4%.
-IBISWorld, 2011

Valentine’s Day is the third most popular calendar occasion for giving flowers, behind Christmas/Hanukkah and Mother’s Day. Among 2010 holidays, Valentine’s Day accounted for 25% of the dollar sales for flowers and 20% of the overall number of transactions. Of fresh flower purchases only, Valentine’s Day ranks No. 1, capturing 36% of transactions and 40% of dollar volume.
-Society of American Florists, 2011

Valentine’s Day is historically the fourth busiest holiday for candy sales, behind Halloween, Easter and Christmas/Hanukkah.
-National Confectioners Association, 2011

Valentine’s Day is the No. 1 holiday for florists.
-Society of American Florists, 2011

Valentine’s Day is the largest e-card sending occasion of the year.
-Greeting Card Association, 2010

Demographics

Male consumers were predicted to spend an average of $168.74 for Valentine’s Day, compared to an average of $85.76 for women.
-National Retail Federation, 2012

An estimated 59.4% of American consumers 18+ will celebrate Valentine’s Day 2012 in some way.
-National Retail Federation, 2012

23% of American adults purchased flowers or plants as gifts for Valentine’s Day 2011. Of this group of floral/plant buyers, 61% were men and 39% were women.
-Society of American Florists, 2012

Women typically account for more than 80% of all Valentine’s Day card purchases, buying for family and friends as well as their significant other.
-Greeting Card Association, 2010

Buying Patterns

Last-minute shopping is the norm for Valentine’s Day with nearly 50 percent of all Valentine’s Day cards and gifts purchased in the six days prior to Feb. 14.
-Hallmark, 2012

The most popular occasions for dining out are birthdays (self, spouse, child, etc.), followed by Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day.
-National Restaurant Association, 2011

Unlike women, men generally buy only one Valentine’s Day card, and tend to shop for Valentines at the last minute. Nevertheless, Valentine’s Day is the number one holiday for greeting card purchases by men.
-Greeting Card Association, 2010

Decision Making

For whom consumers would be buying Valentine’s Day gifts: Spouse or significant other, 89.4%; other family members like children and parents, 60.6%; friends, 24.6%; children’s classmates or teachers, 20.7%; pets, 19.9%; co-workers, 11.5%; other, 8.7%.
-National Retail Federation, 2012

For whom men are buying floral products on Valentine’s Day (more than one answer possible): Spouse, 71%; significant other, 21%; mother, 16%; child, 7%; sister, 5%; other relative, 5%; friend or acquaintance, 4%; self, 4%; grandparent, 2%; father, 1%; other, 3%.
-Society of American Florists, 2012

For whom women are purchasing floral products on Valentine’s Day (more than one answer possible): Spouse, 36%; mother, 27%; friend or acquaintance, 18%; self, 15%; sister, 12%; other relative, 8%; significant other, 7%; child, 6%; grandparent, 3%; father, 1%; other, 7%.
-Society of American Florists, 2012

61% of men admit they have given a Valentine’s Day gift that had no thought behind it, while nearly eight in 10 women have received a gift that appeared to have no thought behind it.
-Sears, 2012

29% of women would choose jewelry if they could pick only one gift to receive for Valentine’s Day this year. Other top choices were flowers or chocolate (20%), perfume (9%), the latest technology product (8%), lingerie (8%), a kitchen or home item (6%), shoes, handbag or other accessory item (5%), clothing item (5%), or a fitness/exercise item (1%).
-Sears, 2012

Where consumers purchased flowers and plants for Valentine’s Day 2011 (more than one answer possible): Supermarket/grocery store, 46%; retail florist, 28%; mass merchant, 19%; national toll-free floral service, 8%; national Internet floral service, 6%; street vendor, 5%; convenience store, 5%; other, 9%.
-Society of American Florists, 2012

More than half of all tablet owners (53.8%) will use their device to research products, compare prices, redeem coupons, look up retailer information or purchase products. Four in 10 (40.4%) smartphone owners will use their mobile device to do the same.
-National Retail Federation, 2012

Four million consumers expect to propose, or be proposed to, over the 2012 Valentine’s Day holiday. 14 million expect a proposal at some point in 2012.
-American Express Spending & Saving Tracker, 2012

Nearly half of all individual Valentine’s Day cards exchanged in the U.S. are given to family members other than a husband or wife, primarily children. An estimated one-third are destined for a sweetheart or spouse.
-Greeting Card Association, 2010

Teachers are said to receive more Valentine’s Day cards than anyone else in the U.S., largely due to the tradition of classroom Valentine exchanges.
-Greeting Card Association, 2010

Product Preferences

44% of people surveyed by Zagat.com said they plan to eat out for Valentine’s Day 2012, while 35% will celebrate at home.
-Zagat.com, 2012

45% of Valentine’s Day diners say they splurge on a nice bottle of wine during dinner.
-Zagat.com, 2012

44% of people surveyed by Zagat.com said they plan to eat out for Valentine’s Day 2012, while 35% will celebrate at home.
-Zagat.com, 2012

35% of diners find Italian cuisine to be the most romantic Valentine’s Day dining choice, followed by 25% for French cuisine and 11% for American cuisine.
-OpenTable, 2012

57% of respondents were looking forward to going out to a nice restaurant for a Valentine’s Day meal, while 44% said they are hoping to receive a handwritten note from their partner and 38% said they are planning to partake in a romantic home-cooked meal.
-Zebra Pen Corporation, 2012

Types of floral products bought for Valentine’s Day in 2011 (more than one answer possible): Mixed flowers, 45%; red roses, 42%; roses (not red), 29%; another type of flower other than roses (such as all tulips, all carnations or all lilies), 23%; plants, 22%.
-Society of American Florists, 2012

An estimated 196 million roses were sold for Valentine’s Day 2010, down slightly from 198 million roses in 2010, but up from approximately 187 million in 2009.
-Society of American Florists, 2012

Types of merchandise were promoted most heavily by floral shops for Valentine’s Day 2011: 1. Store-designed arrangements; 2. Plush, Teddy Bears, etc.; 3. Balloons; 4. Custom arrangements; 5. Wire-service arrangements; 6. Fresh flowers, other than roses; 7. Food and/or candy; 8. Cash-and-carry bouquets; 9. Plants; 10. Non-floral giftware.
-Society of American Florists, 2012

The most popular non-floral gift items sold by florists for Valentine’s Day 2011: Chocolate or candy, 44%; balloons, 24%; plush, 20%; greeting cards, 6%; other, 6%.
-Society of American Florists, 2012

Total spending on jewelry is expected to reach $4.1 billion, up from $3.5 billion last year. Second to jewelry, consumers are expected to spend more than $3.5 billion on a special evening out. Consumers will also spend $1.8 billion on flowers, $1.5 billion on candy, $1.4 billion on clothing and $1.1 billion on gift cards.
-National Retail Federation, 2012

How consumers will spend for Valentine’s Day 2012: Purchase a gift (54% in 2012 vs. 41% in 2011); go out to dinner (46% vs. 39%); special meal at home (24% vs. 20%); go out to the movies (17% vs. 11%); rent movies (10% vs. 7%); night club/drinks and dancing (10% vs. 7%); visit a friend(s) at their home (8% vs. 4%); weekend getaway (8% vs. 5%); take in a show or concert (6% vs. 4%).
-American Express Spending & Saving Tracker, 2012

52.0% of the men and women indicated they would be giving a greeting card for Valentine’s Day 2012, while 35.6% of the couples said they would be going out for the evening. 50.5% of the survey participants indicated they would be buying candy, while 36.0% planned to buy flowers. Other intended gift purchases: Jewelry, 18.9%; clothing, 14.6%; gift card/gift certificate, 13.3%.
-National Retail Federation, 2012

The most popular Valentine’s Day gifts in 2012 include flowers (29%), gift cards (19%), jewelry (15%), gadgets (13%), lingerie/sleepwear (10%), tickets to a show/concert (8%), cash (7%), day at the spa (6%), and a weekend getaway (6%).
-American Express Spending & Saving Tracker, 2012

The best proposal setting for couples looking to get married in 2012 include: On vacation or weekend getaway (30%); romantic ambiance at home (19%); out to dinner (17%); special meal at home (8%).
-American Express Spending & Saving Tracker, 2012

When unmarried consumers were asked who is expected to pay for a date, 58% of unmarried men say the man should pay, while only 39% of women say the man should pay. 39% of women and 24% of men believe whoever asked for the date should pay. 14% of women and 9% of men say the bill should be split. 1% of men and less than 1% of women say that the woman should pay.
-American Express Spending & Saving Tracker, 2012

Overall share of spending for Valentine’s Day 2011, by category: Dining Out, 47.4%; Candy, 13.9%; Romantic Getaways, 11.6%; Flowers, 8.5%; Jewelry, 7.8%; Clothing and Lingerie, 6.3%; Greeting Cards, 4.4%.
-IBISWorld, 2011

More than 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate are sold each year for Valentine’s Day.
-National Confectioners Association, 2011

Nearly 70 percent of travelers strongly agree that their personal romantic relationships would benefit if they went on more leisure trips together.
-Hotwire.com, 2011

Approximately one-fourth of individual Valentine cards are humorous. More adults aged 35-and-under send humorous cards than any other age bracket.
-Greeting Card Association, 2010

Consumer Spending

Only 11% of Valentine’s Day diners plan to split the check.
-Zagat.com, 2012

The average planned expenditures for Valentine’s Day 2012, by age bracket: 18-24, $148.05; 25-34, $176.85; 35-44, $141.82; 45-54, $122.43; 55-64, $88.13; 65+, $79.67.
-National Retail Federation, 2012

Average amounts that consumers expected to spend on various individuals in their lives for Valentine’s Day 2012: Spouse or significant other, $74.12; other family members, $25.25; friends, $6.92; children’s classmates and teachers, $5.81; co-workers, $3.73; pets, $4.52; other people, such as neighbors and babysitters, $5.68.
-National Retail Federation, 2012

The average floral shop Valentine’s Day transaction in 2011 was $62.54, up from $57.51 in 2010.
-Society of American Florists, 2012

The average price of a dozen arranged long-stemmed roses was $75.62, compared to an everyday price of $60.31.
-Society of American Florists, 2012

Consumers expect to increase spending to an average of $196 for Valentine’s Day 2012, up 8% over last year.
-American Express Spending & Saving Tracker, 2012

The average adult consumer would spend $126.03 on Valentine’s Day 2012, comparable to the $116.21 average of the previous year.
-National Retail Federation, 2012

Sales Channels

Where adult consumers planned to purchase Valentine’s Day gifts in 2012 (more than one answer possible): Discount store, 37.0%; department store, 33.6%; specialty store (greeting card/gift store/electronics store), 20.2%; online, 19.3%; florist, 17.8%; jewelry store, 10.6%; specialty clothing store, 6.6%; catalog, 2.2%; other, 9.0%.
-National Retail Federation, 2012

Where consumers purchased flowers and plants for Valentine’s Day 2011 (more than one answer possible): Supermarket/grocery store, 46%; retail florist, 28%; mass merchant, 19%; national toll-free floral service, 8%; national Internet floral service, 6%; street vendor, 5%; convenience store, 5%; other, 9%.
-Society of American Florists, 2012

Hallmark first offered Valentine’s Day cards in 1913 and began producing them in 1916.
-Hallmark, 2012

Hallmark creates more than 1,400 Valentine’s Day greeting card designs.
-Hallmark, 2012

Miscellaneous

Opinions differ as to who was the original Valentine, but the most popular theory is that he was a clergyman who was executed for secretly marrying couples in ancient Rome. In A.D. 496, Pope Gelasius I declared Feb. 14 as Valentine Day. Esther Howland, a native of Massachusetts, is given credit for selling the first mass-produced valentine cards in the 1840s.
-U.S. Census Bureau, 2012

Romantic-sounding places to spend Valentine’s Day include Rose City, Texas, Rose City, Mich., South Heart, N.D., Loveland, Colo., Darling, Minn., Loveland, Ohio, Romeo, Colo., Sacred Heart, Minn., Loveland Park, Ohio, Lovejoy, Ga., Heart Butte, Mont., Love County, Okla., Loves Park, Ill., Valentine, Neb., Loveland, Okla., Lovington, Ill., Lovelock, Nev., Lovelady, Texas, Romeoville, Ill., Loving, N.M., Loving County, Texas, Rosemont, Ill., Lovington, N.M., Valentine, Texas, Romeo, Mich., Love Valley, N.C., Rose Hill Acres, Texas and Rosemont, Md.
-U.S. Census Bureau, American FactFinder, 2012

44% of female diners selected George Clooney as their Valentine’s Day dream date, while 24% selected Ryan Gosling.
-OpenTable, 2012

29% of male diners selected Angelina Jolie as their Valentine’s Day dream date, while 22% selected Zooey Deschanel.
-OpenTable, 2012

45% of females said they would most enjoy a love note from Keith Urban, 24% said Bruno Mars, 19% picked Steven Tyler, 6% chose Jay-Z and 5% picked Justin Bieber.
-Zebra Pen Corporation, 2012

34% of males said Katy Perry is the female singer they’d most like to receive a love note from, followed by 29% for Taylor Swift, 21% for Beyonce, 9% for Lady Gaga and 6% for Adele.
-Zebra Pen Corporation, 2012