Fifty-four percent of Americans will celebrate Valentine’s Day with their loved ones this year, compared to 60 percent in 2013. The average person plans to spend $133.91 on candy, cards, gifts, dinner and more, up slightly from $130.97 last year. Men will spend $108.38 on gifts for their significant others – twice as much as women who will spend $49.41 on their special someone.
Total spending is expected to reach $17.3 billion.
Valentine’s Day purchases by the numbers:
• 51.2% will send greeting cards
• 48.7% will buy candy
• 37.3% will give flowers
• 37% will celebrate an evening out
•19% will purchase jewelry
• 15.8% clothing
• 14% gift cards
Cautious consumers do their research when it comes to shopping, and many will purchase gifts online. The survey, conducted by Proper Insights and Analytics, found that 26.1% plan to shop online this Valentine’s Day, flat with last year’s 26.3%. Many will turn to their tablets or smartphones before making their final gift decisions; 24 percent will research products or compare prices on their smartphones and 32.2 percent will do so on their tablets.