'United Kingdom (UK) Valentine's Day - Analyzing Market, Trends, Consumer Attitudes and Major Players, 2023 Update'report forms part of the publisher's Retail Occasions series, and offers a comprehensive insight into the consumer dynamics and spending habits of UK consumers for Valentine's Day. The report analyses the major players, the main trends, and consumer attitudes.
Valentine’s Day penetration fell in 2023, with both participation and shopper penetration declining on the previous year. With Valentine’s Day being so close to Christmas, during which more consumers were seen to use financing options to spend beyond their limits, Valentine’s Day 2023 was deprioritised as consumers are still paying off loans and Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) purchases. Yet, BNPL usage has also increased for Valentine’s Day this year, with over half of consumers stating that they felt worse off financially in 2023, suggesting that there may be a possible crash in spending power later in the year.
Valentine’s Day penetration fell in 2023, with both participation and shopper penetration declining on the previous year. With Valentine’s Day being so close to Christmas, during which more consumers were seen to use financing options to spend beyond their limits, Valentine’s Day 2023 was deprioritised as consumers are still paying off loans and Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) purchases. Yet, BNPL usage has also increased for Valentine’s Day this year, with over half of consumers stating that they felt worse off financially in 2023, suggesting that there may be a possible crash in spending power later in the year.
Key Highlights
- Shopper penetration, retail penetration and leisure penetration all decreased against 2022, but remained higher than 2021.
- Value for money proved to be the most prominent factor in retailer selection, followed by quality and price.
- The proportion of consumers spending money on their partners increased the most this year, with minor increases in those buying for parents, themselves and pets. There were slight declines in those spending money on children and grandchildren.
- Consumers have switched to discount retailers for food & drink this year, as inflation continues to rise. Premium food & drink retailers also saw a boost, as consumers traded down from eating out and takeaways.
Reasons to Buy
- Identify the key retailers used by consumers to purchase Valentine's Day products across various categories, and what drives consumers to shop with these retailers
- Understand the most popular Valentine's Day categories shopped for by consumers in 2023
- Understand which channels used by consumers are the most popular when shopping for Valentine's Day products
Table of Contents
- KEY FINDINGS
- The key findings
- Valentine’s Day penetration declines as consumer’s tighten budgets following heightened Christmas spend
- food & drink , with gains at both ends
- of the price scale "
- Gifting penetration falls as consumers look towards card & gift wrap category
- Trend insight - stores
- Trend insight - online
- CONSUMER ATTITUDES
- Participation dynamics
- Buying dynamics
- Financial wellbeing
- Valentine's Day spending
- Financing spending
- Valentine's Day spending
- Who shoppers bought for
- Valentine's Day activities
- Meal choices
- Takeaway cuisines
- Dining in choices
- Valentine's Day statements
- Retailer selection
- Retailer ratings - grocers
- Retailer ratings - non-food retailers
- Retailer drivers by category
- FOOD & DRINK
- Buying dynamics
- Retailer used
- Retailer selection
- Channel usage
- Store type
- Device usage
- Fulfilment
- Average spend
- Buying dynamics
- GIFTS
- Buying dynamics
- Retailer used
- Retailer selection
- Channel usage
- Store type
- Device usage
- Fulfilment
- Average spend
- Buying dynamics
- CARDS & GIFT WRAP
- Buying dynamics
- Retailer used
- Retailer selection
- Channel usage
- Store type
- Device usage
- Fulfilment
- Buying dynamics
- Digital cards
- METHODOLOGY
- Technical details: consumer survey work
- Retailer ratings across key measures - grocers, 2023
- Retailer ratings across key measures - non-food retailers, 2023
- Percentage point change - top 10 retailers shopped at for Valentine's Day food & drink, 2022 to 2023
- Percentage point change - top 10 retailers most shopped at for Valentine's Day food & drink, 2022 to 2023
- Percentage point change - top 10 retailers consumers switched to for Valentine's Day food & drink, 2022 to 2023
- Products purchased, sweet products, 2022 & 2023
- Products purchased, alcoholic drinks, 2022 & 2023
- Products purchased, meat & meat-free alternatives, 2022 & 2023
- Products purchased, fruit & vegetables, 2022 & 2023
- Products purchased, non-alcoholic drinks, 2022 & 2023
- Products purchased, ready meals, 2022 & 2023
- Products purchased, fish, 2022 & 2023
- Products purchased, delicatessen products, 2022 & 2023
- Products purchased, breakfast foods, 2022 & 2023
- Percentage point change - top 10 retailers shopped at for Valentine's Day gifts, 2022 to 2023
- Products purchased, food & drink gifts, 2022 & 2023
- Retailers used, food & drink gifts, 2022 & 2023
- Products purchased, flowers & plants, 2022 & 2023
- Retailers used, flowers & plants, 2022 & 2023
- Products purchased, fine jewellery & watches, 2022 & 2023
- Retailers used, fine jewellery & watches, 2022 & 2023
- Products purchased, clothing, 2022 & 2023
- Retailers used, clothing, 2022 & 2023
- Products purchased, accessories & footwear, 2022 & 2023
- Retailers used, accessories & footwear, 2022 & 2023
- Products purchased, homewares, 2022 & 2023
- Retailers used, homewares, 2022 & 2023
- Products purchased, health & beauty, 2022 & 2023
- Retailers used, health & beauty, 2022 & 2023
- Products purchased, soft toys, 2022 & 2023
- Retailers used, soft toys, 2022 & 2023
- Products purchased, stationery, 2022 & 2023
- Retailers used, stationery, 2022 & 2023
- Products purchased, experience, 2022 & 2023
- Products purchased, entertainment, 2022 & 2023
- Retailers used, entertainment, 2022 & 2023
- Products purchased, electricals, 2022 & 2023
- Retailers used, electricals, 2022 & 2023
- Products purchased, vouchers & money, 2022 & 2023
- Products purchased, sports, 2022 & 2023
- Retailers used, sports, 2022 & 2023
- Products purchased, books, 2022 & 2023
- Retailers used, books, 2022 & 2023
- Percentage point change - top 10 retailers shopped at for Valentine's Day cards & gift wrap, 2022 to 2023
- Products purchased, cards, 2022 & 2023
- Retailers used, cards, 2022 & 2023
- Products purchased, gift wrap, 2022 & 2023
- Retailers used, gift wrap, 2022 & 2023
- Consumer preference for making rather than buying gifts in 2022 and 2023
- Valentine’s Day participation penetration, 2021, 2022 & 2023
- Valentine’s Day shopper penetration, 2021, 2022 & 2023
- Valentine’s Day shopper profile, 2023
- Valentine’s Day retail penetration, 2021, 2022 & 2023
- Valentine’s Day leisure penetration, 2021, 2022 & 2023
- Financial wellbeing compared to last year, 2022 & 2023
- Valentine's Day spending compared to last year, 2022 & 2023
- How consumers financed Valentine's Day spending compared to last year, 2022 & 2023
- How consumers split Valentine's Day spending between retail & leisure, 2023
- Who consumers spent money on for Valentine's Day, 2022 & 2023
- Valentine's Day activities undertaken, 2023
- Valentine’s Day meal choices, 2023
- Valentine’s Day takeaway cuisines, 2022 & 2023
- Valentine’s Day dining in choices, 2022 & 2023
- Agreement and disagreement with statements about Valentine’s Day 2023, and change on 2022
- Which retailer did the best job of promoting or communicating deals for Valentine’s Day 2023, and change on 2022
- What’s driving retailer selection - summary, 2023
- Food & drink penetration, 2021, 2022 & 2023
- Retailers shopped at for food & drink, 2022 & 2023
- Retailers most shopped at for food & drink, 2022 & 2023
- What’s driving food & drink retailer selection 2023, and change on 2022
- Consumers switching from their usual main food & drink retailer, 2021, 2022 & 2023
- Retailers consumers switched to, 2022 & 2023
- Consumers using each channel for food & drink, 2023
- Consumers using each physical store type for food & drink, 2023
- Consumers using each device for food & drink purchases, 2023
- Consumers using each fulfilment option for food & drink, 2022 & 2023
- Valentine’s Day food & drink average spend 2023, and change on 2022
- Sweet products penetration, 2023 (by demographic) and 2021 & 2022 penetration
- Meat & meat-free alternatives penetration, 2023 (by demographic) and 2021 & 2022 penetration
- Alcoholic drinks penetration, 2023 (by demographic) and 2021 & 2022 penetration
- Fruit & vegetables penetration, 2023 (by demographic) and 2021 & 2022 penetration
- Breakfast foods penetration, 2023 (by demographic) and 2021 & 2022 penetration
- Non-alcoholic drinks penetration, 2023 (by demographic) and 2021 & 2022 penetration
- Fish penetration, 2023 (by demographic) and 2021 & 2022 penetration
- Delicatessen products penetration, 2023 (by demographic) and 2021 & 2022 penetration
- Planned/impulse purchases, food & drink, 2022 & 2023
- Planned/impulse purchases, food & drink categories, 2022 & 2023
- Gifts overall penetration, 2021, 2022 & 2023
- Retailers shopped at for gifts, 2022 & 2023
- What’s driving gifts retailer selection 2023, and change on 2022
- Consumers using each channel for gifts, 2023
- Consumers using each physical store type for gifts, 2023
- Consumers using each device for gifts purchases, 2023
- Consumers using each fulfilment option for gifts, 2022 & 2023
- Valentine's Day gifts average spend 2023, and change on 2022
- Food & drink gifts penetration, 2023 (by demographic) and 2021 & 2022 penetration
- Flowers & plants penetration, 2023 (by demographic) and 2021 & 2022 penetration
- Fine jewellery & watches penetration, 2023 (by demographic) and 2021 & 2022 penetration
- Clothing penetration, 2023 (by demographic) and 2021 & 2022 penetration
- Accessories & footwear penetration, 2023 (by demographic) and 2021 & 2022 penetration
- Homewares penetration, 2023 (by demographic) and 2021 & 2022 penetration
- Health & beauty penetration, 2023 (by demographic) and 2021 & 2022 penetration
- Soft toys penetration, 2023 (by demographic) and 2021 & 2022 penetration
- Stationery penetration, 2023 (by demographic) and 2021 & 2022 penetration
- Experience gifts penetration, 2023 (by demographic) and 2021 & 2022 penetration
- Entertainment penetration, 2023 (by demographic) and 2021 & 2022 penetration
- Electricals penetration, 2023 (by demographic) and 2021 & 2022 penetration
- Vouchers & money penetration, 2023 (by demographic) and 2021 & 2022 penetration
- Sports penetration, 2023 (by demographic) and 2021 & 2022 penetration
- Books penetration, 2023 (by demographic) and 2021 & 2022 penetration
- Planned/impulse purchases, gifts, 2022 & 2023
- Planned/impulse purchases, gifts categories, 2022 & 2023
- Personalised products, gifts, 2022 & 2023
- Personalised products, gifts categories, 2022 & 2023
- Cards & gift wrap penetration, 2023 (by demographic) and 2021 & 2022 penetration
- Retailers shopped at for cards & gift wrap, 2022 & 2023
- What's driving cards and gift wrap retailer selection 2023, and change on 2022
- Consumers using each channel for cards & gift wrap, 2023
- Consumers using each physical store type for cards & gift wrap, 2023
- Consumers using each device for cards & gift wrap purchases, 2023
- Consumers using each fulfilment option for cards & gift wrap, 2022 & 2023
- Cards penetration, 2023 (by demographic) and 2021 & 2022 penetration
- Gift wrap penetration, 2023 (by demographic) and 2021 & 2022 penetration
- Planned/impulse purchases, cards & gift wrap, 2022 & 2023
- Planned/impulse purchases, cards & gift wrap categories, 2022 & 2023
- Proportion of consumers that personalised cards, 2022 & 2023
- Proportion of consumers that stated the ability to personalise a card was important, 2022 & 2023
- Reasons for sending a digital Valentine's Day card, 2023
Companies Mentioned (Partial List)
A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes, but is not limited to:
- Adidas
- Aldi
- Amazon
- Apple
- Argos
- ASDA
- ASOS
- B&Q
- Blackwells
- Boots
- Card Factory
- Clintons
- Co-op
- Currys
- Debenhams
- Footasylum
- Funkypigeon.com
- GAME
- Goldsmiths
- H&M
- H. Samuel
- Halfords
- HMV
- Home Bargains
- Hotel Chocolat
- House of Fraser
- IKEA
- Independent retailer
- Interflora
- JD Sports
- John Lewis & Partners
- Lakeland
- Lidl
- Local florist/flower stall
- Marks & Spencer
- Matalan
- Moonpig.com
- Morrisons
- Next
- Nike
- Ocado
- Oliver Bonas
- Pandora
- Paperchase
- Pets at Home
- Poundland
- Primark
- Sainsbury's
- Savers
- Shoe Zone
- Smyths Toys
- Sports Direct
- Superdrug
- Tesco
- The Body Shop
- The Book People
- The Brilliant Gift Shop
- The Entertainer
- The Fragrance Shop
- The Perfume Shop
- The Range
- The Works
- Thorntons
- Tiffany & Co
- TK Maxx
- Very
- Waitrose & Partners
- Waterstones
- WH Smith
- Wordery
- Zara
- Zavvi
