United Kingdom (UK) Valentine’s Day – Analyzing Market, Trends, Consumer Attitudes and Major Players, 2024 Update

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The UK Valentine's Day 2024 report forms part of GlobalData'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.

The proportion of UK consumers shopping for Valentine’s Day has declined this year, down on 2023. This has largely been driven by a muted interest in spending on retail, with the proportion of consumers spending on retail goods falling to just over 40%. This may be due to Valentine’s Day diminishing in significance, with over two-thirds of consumers agreeing that this occasion is important, up on 2023.

Key Highlights

Shopper penetration, retail penetration and leisure penetration all decreased against 2023.

The proportion of Valentine's Day spending on retail decreased in 2024, as consumers focused on spending time with loved ones.

Quality was the most important factor in retailer selection for food & drink in 2024, with Marks & Spencer being the most popular choice with consumers switching from their usual retailer.

More consumers purchased from stores on high streets, town centres or in-town shopping centres this year, while the proportion of consumers purchasing online fell.

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 2024

Understand which channels used by consumers are the most popular when shopping for Valentine's Day products

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

Table of Contents

KEY FINDINGS

The key findings

Valentine’s Day penetration declines as consumers prioritise quality time with their significant other​

Marks & Spencer remains a popular choice for Valentine’s Day as consumers seek high-quality food & drink ​

Consumers prioritise meaningful gestures over lavish spending as big-ticket Valentine’s Day gifts lose popularity ​

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

Table

Retailer ratings across key measures – grocers, 2024

Retailer ratings across key measures – non-food retailers, 2024

Percentage point change – top 10 retailers shopped at for Valentine's Day food & drink, 2023 to 2024

Percentage point change – top 10 retailers most shopped at for Valentine's Day food & drink, 2023 to 2024

Percentage point change – top 10 retailers consumers switched to for Valentine's Day food & drink, 2023 to 2024

Products purchased, sweet products, 2023 & 2024

Products purchased, alcoholic drinks, 2023 & 2024

Products purchased, meat & meat-free alternatives, 2023 & 2024

Products purchased, fruit & vegetables, 2023 & 2024

Products purchased, non-alcoholic drinks, 2023 & 2024

Products purchased, ready meals, 2023 & 2024

Products purchased, fish, 2023 & 2024

Products purchased, delicatessen products, 2023 & 2024

Products purchased, breakfast foods, 2023 & 2024

Products bought on impulse, 2023 & 2024

Percentage point change – top 10 retailers shopped at for Valentine's Day gifts, 2023 to 2024

Products purchased, food & drink gifts, 2023 & 2024

Retailers used, food & drink gifts, 2023 & 2024

Products purchased, flowers & plants, 2023 & 2024

Retailers used, flowers & plants, 2023 & 2024

Products purchased, fine jewellery & watches, 2023 & 2024

Retailers used, fine jewellery & watches, 2023 & 2024

Products purchased, clothing, 2023 & 2024

Retailers used, clothing, 2023 & 2024

Products purchased, accessories & footwear, 2023 & 2024

Retailers used, accessories & footwear, 2023 & 2024

Products purchased, homewares, 2023 & 2024

Retailers used, homewares, 2023 & 2024

Products purchased, health & beauty, 2023 & 2024

Retailers used, health & beauty, 2023 & 2024

Products purchased, soft toys, 2023 & 2024

Retailers used, soft toys, 2023 & 2024

Products purchased, stationery, 2023 & 2024

Retailers used, stationery, 2023 & 2024

Products purchased, experience, 2023 & 2024

Products purchased, entertainment, 2023 & 2024

Retailers used, entertainment, 2023 & 2024

Products purchased, electricals, 2023 & 2024

Retailers used, electricals, 2023 & 2024

Products purchased, vouchers & money, 2023 & 2024

Products purchased, sports, 2023 & 2024

Retailers used, sports, 2023 & 2024

Products purchased, books, 2023 & 2024

Retailers used, books, 2023 & 2024

Gift products bought on impulse, 2023 & 2024

Gift products personalised, 2023 & 2024

Average spend on cards & gift wrap, 2023 & 2024

Percentage point change – top 10 retailers shopped at for Valentine's Day cards & gift wrap, 2023 to 2024

Products purchased, cards, 2023 & 2024

Retailers used, cards, 2023 & 2024

Products purchased, gift wrap, 2023 & 2024

Retailers used, gift wrap, 2023 & 2024

Cards & gift wrap products bought on impulse, 2023 & 2024

Figures

Consumer responses to the statement ‘I feel a lot of pressure to buy the right thing for Valentine’s Day’, by gender and age, 2024

Valentine’s Day participation penetration, 2022, 2023 & 2024

Valentine’s Day shopper penetration, 2022, 2023 & 2024

Valentine’s Day shopper profile, 2024

Valentine’s Day retail penetration, 2022, 2023 & 2024

Valentine’s Day leisure penetration, 2022, 2023 & 2024

Financial wellbeing compared to last year, 2023 & 2024

Valentine's Day spending compared to last year, 2023 & 2024

How consumers financed Valentine's Day spending compared to last year, 2023 & 2024

How consumers split Valentine's Day spending between retail & leisure, 2024

Who consumers spent money on for Valentine's Day, 2023 & 2024

Valentine's Day activities undertaken, 2024

Valentine’s Day meal choices, 2024

Valentine’s Day takeaway cuisines, 2023 & 2024

Valentine’s Day dining in choices, 2023 & 2024

Agreement and disagreement with statements about Valentine’s Day 2024, and change on 2023

Which retailer did the best job of promoting or communicating deals for Valentine’s Day 2024, and change on 2023

What’s driving retailer selection – summary, 2024

Food & drink penetration, 2022, 2023 & 2024

Retailers shopped at for food & drink, 2023 & 2024

Retailers most shopped at for food & drink, 2023 & 2024

What’s driving food & drink retailer selection 2024, and change on 2023

Consumers switching from their usual main food & drink retailer, 2022, 2023 & 2024

Retailers consumers switched to, 2023 & 2024

Consumers using each channel for food & drink, 2024

Consumers using each physical store type for food & drink, 2024

Consumers using each device for food & drink purchases, 2024

Consumers using each fulfilment option for food & drink, 2023 & 2024

Valentine’s Day food & drink average spend 2024, and change on 2023

Sweet products penetration, 2024 (by demographic) and 2022 & 2023 penetration

Alcoholic drinks penetration, 2024 (by demographic) and 2022 & 2023 penetration

Meat & meat-free alternatives penetration, 2024 (by demographic) and 2022 & 2023 penetration

Fruit & vegetables penetration, 2024 (by demographic) and 2022 & 2023 penetration

Breakfast foods penetration, 2024 (by demographic) and 2022 & 2023 penetration

Non-alcoholic drinks penetration, 2024 (by demographic) and 2022 & 2023 penetration

Fish penetration, 2024 (by demographic) and 2022 & 2023 penetration

Delicatessen products penetration, 2024 (by demographic) and 2022 & 2023 penetration

Planned/impulse purchases, food & drink, 2023 & 2024

Planned/impulse purchases, food & drink categories, 2023 & 2024

Gifts overall penetration, 2022, 2023 & 2024

Retailers shopped at for gifts, 2023 & 2024

What’s driving gifts retailer selection 2024, and change on 2023

Consumers using each channel for gifts, 2024

Consumers using each physical store type for gifts, 2024

Consumers using each device for gifts purchases, 2024

Consumers using each fulfilment option for gifts, 2023 & 2024

Valentine's Day gifts average spend 2024, and change on 2023

Food & drink gifts penetration, 2024 (by demographic) and 2022 & 2023 penetration

Flowers & plants penetration, 2024 (by demographic) and 2022 & 2023 penetration

Fine jewellery & watches penetration, 2024 (by demographic) and 2022 & 2023 penetration

Clothing penetration, 2024 (by demographic) and 2022 & 2023 penetration

Accessories & footwear penetration, 2024 (by demographic) and 2022 & 2023 penetration

Homewares penetration, 2024 (by demographic) and 2022 & 2023 penetration

Health & beauty penetration, 2024 (by demographic) and 2022 & 2023 penetration

Soft toys penetration, 2024 (by demographic) and 2022 & 2023 penetration

Stationery penetration, 2024 (by demographic) and 2022 & 2023 penetration

Experience gifts penetration, 2024 (by demographic) and 2022 & 2023 penetration

Entertainment penetration, 2024 (by demographic) and 2022 & 2023 penetration

Electricals penetration, 2024 (by demographic) and 2022 & 2023 penetration

Vouchers & money penetration, 2024 (by demographic) and 2022 & 2023 penetration

Sports penetration, 2024 (by demographic) and 2022 & 2023 penetration

Books penetration, 2024 (by demographic) and 2022 & 2023 penetration

Planned/impulse purchases, gifts, 2023 & 2024

Planned/impulse purchases, gifts categories, 2023 & 2024

Personalised products, gifts, 2023 & 2024

Personalised products, gifts categories, 2023 & 2024

Cards & gift wrap penetration, 2024 (by demographic) and 2022 & 2023 penetration

Retailers shopped at for cards & gift wrap, 2023 & 2024

What's driving cards and gift wrap retailer selection 2024, and change on 2023

Consumers using each channel for cards & gift wrap, 2024

Consumers using each physical store type for cards & gift wrap, 2024

Consumers using each device for cards & gift wrap purchases, 2024

Consumers using each fulfilment option for cards & gift wrap, 2023 & 2024

Cards penetration, 2024 (by demographic) and 2022 & 2023 penetration

Gift wrap penetration, 2024 (by demographic) and 2022 & 2023 penetration

Planned/impulse purchases, cards & gift wrap, 2023 & 2024

Planned/impulse purchases, cards & gift wrap categories, 2023 & 2024

Proportion of consumers that personalised cards, 2023 & 2024

Proportion of consumers that stated the ability to personalise a card was important, 2023 & 2024

Reasons for sending a digital Valentine's Day card, 2024

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