Valentine’s Day Celebrations: Insights into Romance

We surveyed 350 Australians who are celebrating St Valentine's Day this year.

Romantic or not, finances are invariably a consideration for special occasions, so right off the bat we questioned our respondents on their expected outlay this year.

Of those who are making room in their budget for this special day, 76% plan to spend less than $100, 21% plan to spend between $100 to $500, and 3% plan to spend over $500.

Of those spending over $200, 42% stated the bulk of that money is going to a tech item for their significant other. 29% are setting aside most of their dollars on an experience such as a special night out or a getaway, and another 29% are making their main purchase under the categories of either jewellery/watches, perfume/aftershave, or flowers.

Sifting through the data, we found that gender norms are still prevalent, with males six times more likely to buy flowers for their Valentine, 18% of men opting for flowers as their main gift versus 3% of women doing so. Women are twice as likely as men to make a special meal to serve as the highlight for the occasion, with 12% of women and 6% of men planning a home-cooked experience, respectively.

When asked to pick the one most important factor when selecting a Valentine’s Day gift, the uniqueness of a gift is marked as one of the most important factors, along with whether it’s perceived to be value for money, as well as the affordability of the actual price for the individual.

Close to two-thirds (62%) plan to shop in person in-store for gifts with MYER, JB HI-FI, David Jones, Dan Murphy’s, Pandora and Bunnings being the most popular in-store retailers. Whereas Amazon, Roses Only and The Iconic were the top online retailers for respondents this year.

Finally, we asked our survey respondents about their most memorable Valentine’s Day presents. The answers we received ranged from funny – “A lovely card that hubby forgot to write in” – to creative – “A song was written and recorded for me” – to thoughtful – “My partner tracked down a rare book I wanted for years and had it signed by the author” – to gripping – “A dive experience with a crocodile” – to adorable – “A long sausage dog toy that says ‘I love you this much’ on its stomach” – to frugal – “A partner who didn’t have much money spelled out ‘I love you’ with puff pastry” – to elaborate – “My husband set up a murder mystery with the last clue leading me to our favourite café where he was waiting with my favourite meal”- to celestial – “A star in the sky, I was provided with coordinates to find this”… a spectacularly diverse compilation of unforgettable gifts!

Curious about what consumers think about certain items, or wondering how you can make your offerings more enticing? Contact us here and we can ask them for you!