Valentine’s Day spending is expected to hit a new record this year

German retailers expect an extra revenue of €1.3 billion

According to the German Retail Federation (HDE), German retailers expect to generate €1.3 billion in additional revenue around 14 February – Lebensmittelpraxis revealed. Nearly 28 per cent of consumers are forecast to shop for Valentine’s Day, compared to just 17 per cent in 2020.

According to HDE, three-quarters of consumers planning to shop for Valentine’s Day this year spend every year, but just under a fifth plan to make an unscheduled purchase this year. 7% of consumers intend to spend money for the first time on Valentine’s Day.

Product categories that tend to be the most popular around Valentine’s Day in Germany include food and flowers, but many people also buy gift vouchers, decorations, jewellery and watches.

Valentine’s Day can bring in $27.5 billion in the US

Consumers are expected to spend a record $27.5 billion on Valentine’s Day this year, according to the annual survey from the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Prosper Insights & Analytics – Chain Store Age reported. The amount is up from last year’s $25.8 billion, and slightly above the previous record of $27.4 billion set in 2020. Shoppers plan to spend $188.81 on average on the holiday, up from $185.81 in 2024.

Fifty-six percent of American consumers plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year, up from 53% in 2024. Men are more likely to celebrate the holiday this year with 55% saying they plan to participate in Valentine’s Day, up from 51% in 2024.

According to NRF’s survey, the most popular gift categories this year include candy (56%), flowers (40%), greeting cards (40%), an evening out (35%) and jewelry (22%). Across these categories, Americans plan to spend a total of $6.5 billion on jewelry, $5.4 billion on an evening out, $2.9 billion on flowers, $2.5 billion on candy and $1.4 billion on greeting cards.

One-third (32%) of consumers also plan to purchase gifts for friends this Valentine’s Day, up from 28% last year and the highest in the survey’s history. Another 19% expect to purchase gifts for co-workers, up from 16% in 2024 and another record. Roughly a third (32%) also plan to purchase gifts for their pets, which is on par with last year.