Valentine’s Day is tomorrow and whether you love the romantic holiday or loathe it, it’s coming and it’s going to be even bigger than last! In fact, total spending on Valentine’s Day will reach about $17.6 billion this week, an all-time high. That’s an average of $126 per person – up 8.5% from last year. Sure, the holiday may be referred to as “Hallmark Day” by all the criticizing anti-Valentine’s Day men and women out there, but what holiday isn’t commercialized to some extent?
The truth is, the majority of men and women think the best way to celebrate the holiday is with a romantic weekend away. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford a mini-vacation, so jewelry and flowers it is!
Consumers are expected to spend the most on jewelry, at a collective $4.1 billion. Next up is a romantic evening out, spending an estimated $3.5 billion towards a romantic evening on the town with their significant other. But men and women differ when it comes to what gifts they want from their partner…no suprise there! Forty-five percent of men think flowers are a Valentine’s Day must, but only 4 percent of women agree. One-third of women want jewelry and 40 percent want to be treated to a day at the spa. Men, on the other hand, are easy: a whopping 70% say they just want sex for Valentine’s Day (only 11% of women feel sex is important on V-day)!
More interesting stats:
70%: The portion of singles who said they wouldn’t mind a blind date for the occasion.
15%: The estimated portion of women who will send themselves flowers. (Like Cher in Clueless, perhaps?)
10% of all wedding proposals are made on Valentine’s Day. 63 % of women and 69 % of men think it’s cliché.
45% of men and 19% of women think men should also be spoiled on Valentine’s Day
$367 million: Consumers spend this much on Valentine’s Day gifts for their pets each year.
