ALEXANDRIA, Va.—Most customers plan to shop in stores for their Valentine’s Day gifts this year, according to a survey by Shopkick. Eighty-seven percent of Americans plan to shop in store, and 36% will shop online.
The majority of consumers (67%) plan to celebrate the holiday by giving gifts, and 33% plan to make their Valentine’s Day purchases two to three weeks ahead of the holiday. Of that 67%, 60% plan to buy their loved one a card, and 59% are purchasing candy. Consumers will also gift clothing and accessories (26%), gift cards (26%), food items (24%) and flowers (21%).
Cost is top of mind for 49% of Valentine’s Day gift-givers, but other considerations include style (21%), brand and value alignment (19%) and convenience of delivery (11%). Sixty-three percent of consumers plan to spend about the same amount of money on Valentine’s Day this year as they did last year; however, of the 19% who plan to spend more, 31% say it is because they want to make up for not being able to fully celebrate last year. Eighteen percent plan to spend less and are doing so because their finances have been impacted and they need to budget (49%).
Half of those surveyed want to spend $50 or less on gifts this year, while 23% plan to spend over $50 but less than $100.
“Consumers fully plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year and are shopping in-store to find the right gifts for their loved ones,” said Brittany Billings, executive vice president, strategic markets & marketing at Shopkick. “For the next couple of weeks leading up to the holiday, retailers should be prepared for foot traffic and offer a pleasant and safe in-store experience.”
“Generally, seasonal permissibility is high, with 82% of Americans agreeing that it is OK to enjoy seasonal confectionery during holidays and special occasions,” said Carly Schildhaus, public affairs manager for the National Confectioners Association (NCA), in a recent NACS Magazine article. “Plus, 84% of Americans believe seasonal candies are a fun part of special celebrations, and 78% say sharing and gifting seasonal confectionery is a great American tradition.”
A report by NCA found that sales of chocolate in 2020 were strong, with chocolate accounting for about 60% of all confectionery sales in the U.S. More than 80% of consumers consume chocolate in at least two of the three chocolate segments. Most consumers view chocolate as an occasional treat, partaking in it two to three times a week.
According to NACS research, candy did well in 2020. NACS State of the Industry data showed that candy made up 2.95% of in-store sales and averaged over $79,000 in sales per store last year. In fact, sales increased 1.9% over 2019. In terms of profitability, candy margins usually hover at or above 50%. Learn more about 2020 candy sales and how to turn treats into sweet sales with thoughtful merchandising, seasonal offers and bulk bags in “Candy Crush” in the October 2021 issue of NACS Magazine.