Valentine's Day Statistics

Although Valentine's Day represents the single busiest day of the year, it ranks fourth in the number of transactions for a holiday. The reason is because most of the sales are concentrated on one single day.

The other holidays are spread out over several days or, in the case of Christmas, over several weeks.

However, you'll be glad to know that the average Valentine's Day transaction is higher than the average sale for any other holiday.

What is Being Bought?

By far the majority of Valentine's Day orders involve cut flowers. They represent 79 percent of all the sales for the holiday.

Coming in second are flowering plants with 14 percent of sales. Bedding and garden plants make up 4 percent of sales and green plants account for the last 3 percent.

Although the dominance of cut flower sales may not be a surprise to any florist, how those sales break down is probably not as well known.

Almost half of the cut flowers purchased (47 percent) are roses. Next are mixed flowers (29 percent). Carnations represent 14 percent, and other single flower types account for 10 percent.

Of the roses florists sell for Valentine's, 73 percent are red. The remaining 27 percent is spread out between all the other colors, with pink being slightly ahead of the others.

The Customer

As you would expect, men make most of the Valentine's Day purchases — about 62 percent.

The men buy flowers primarily for their wives or significant others (82 percent). The balance goes to daughters, mothers and friends.

Women purchasers buy a little more broadly at Valentine's Day. Twenty-five percent of the purchases are for their mothers, while only 19 percent are for their husbands or significant others. Self purchases and then gifts for daughters, friends, parents, grandmothers, sisters and others (in that order) make up the balance.

Plan Accordingly

In the weeks leading up to Valentine's Day, use these statistics to sharpen your focus.

For example, your advertising should primarily be directed toward men who want to honor their wives or significant others. That focus hits slightly over half the market.

To reach the other half of the market, consider all the other possibilities. Many individuals besides spouses and significant others enjoy receiving flowers at Valentine's Day.

Use Your Own Numbers, Too

Make the most of Valentine's Day.

Combine this information with your own historical sales data to make sure you are buying the proper product and targeting your market effectively.

Source of data: American Floral Endowment Consumer Tracking Study September 1998 - August 1999.