WASHINGTON -- Americans are planning to spoil their loved ones this Valentine’s Day--54.8% of consumers will celebrate the holiday, spending an average of $146.84 on flowers, jewelry, candy, apparel and more, up from $142.31 last year, according to the National Retail Federation’s Valentine’s Day Consumer Spending Survey.
Total spending is expected to reach $19.7 billion, a survey high.
“As the first major consumer holiday of 2016, Valentine’s Day could provide a positive boost in spending our economy needs,” said NRF president and CEO Matthew Shay. “Low gas prices and guaranteed promotions from retailers large and small should help consumers as they look for the perfect gift for their friends and family. Looking ahead, we’re optimistic consumers are in a good place when it comes to spending on discretionary items like gifts.”
When it comes to the top gifts this Valentine’s Day, 50% of consumers surveyed said they plan to buy candy, spending a total of $1.7 billion. Nearly four in 10 of those celebrating the holiday (38.3%) plan to treat their dates to a night out at a restaurant, tickets to a show or another experience, spending a record total of $4.5 billion, the highest since NRF began tracking spending on gifts in 2010.
Another $4.4 billion will be spent on necklaces, earrings and other jewelry items, with nearly one in five (19.9%) planning to treat their significant other or family member to something precious; nearly half (47.9%) of those celebrating will spend $1.1 billion on greeting cards. Additionally, it is estimated $2 billion will be spent on apparel and $1.9 billion will be spent on flowers.
Americans’ husbands, wives and significant others are the ones in for the real treat this Valentine’s Day. According to the survey, 90.8% of consumers said they would buy something for their significant other/spouse and are planning to spend an average of $89.86, up from $87.94 last year. The NRF expects total spending on significant others/spouses to reach $12 billion.
Additionally, consumers will spend an average of $27.79 on other family members like children and parents, $7.08 on children’s classmates and teachers and $5.83 on co-workers.
And consumers will spend $681 million to treat their favorite pets to Valentine’s Day delights.
NRF for the first time asked consumers about their hope to receive and plans to give a gift of experience. According to the survey, 24% of those surveyed said they plan to give a gift of experience such as tickets to a concert, a spa service or an art lesson, while nearly four in 10 (38.8%) said that they would love to receive a gift of experience.
“With the winter holidays behind us, consumers may have a little more room in their budget to indulge on gifts for their loved ones,” said Pam Goodfellow, principal analyst with Prosper Insights & Analytics, which conducted the survey. “This year, we expect consumers will look for unique and creative gifts, including that extra special ‘experience’ that can be shared any time throughout the year. Even those on a tight budget can find affordable ways to create a special moment with each other even past Valentine’s Day.”
Department stores will see the most traffic this Valentine’s Day (34.5%) and nearly one-third (31%) will shop at their favorite discount store. Additionally, 27.9% plan to shop online, 19.4% will visit a florist, 19.1% will visit a specialty store and 15.4% will shop small at a local small business.
Prosper conducted the survey 7,293 consumers from Jan. 5-12, 2016.
Click the link below to download the Valentine's Day survey data.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.