One of the most significant sales events in the first half of 2025 will attract millions of shoppers from all continents to online stores searching for gifts to impress their friends, romantic interests, or significant others.
Like every year, digital retailers will compete for their attention and do everything in their power to drive their sales on local and international marketplaces.
To maximize your sales on Saint Valentine’s Day, you must ensure your store is prepared for increased traffic and sales.
This involves a wide range of actions, from planning all promotional activities weeks in advance to checking if all in-demand products are in stock and optimizing your listings on online marketplaces to reflect the spirit of Valentine’s Day.
We’ll walk you through the Valentine’s Day trends and stats that could assist you with optimizing your store and preparing it for the first major online sales event of the year!
Valentine’s Day eCommerce trends and stats at a glance
- Chocolate and flowers were the most popular Valentine’s Day gifts in 2024 and will likely remain so in 2025.
- Although it’s not as popular as Valentine’s Day, Galentine’s Day, observed on February 13, presents an excellent opportunity for online sales to market products aimed primarily at women.
- Approximately 250 million stems of flowers are sold each year globally on Valentine’s Day.
- 38.45% of men shop for Valentine’s Day gifts on Amazon.
- 62% of consumers are likely to shop from an online store throughout the year if they had a good experience when shopping for Valentine’s Day.
- Americans will spend nearly $200 on Valentine’s Day in 2025.
- Over 50% of adults who are married or in a relationship across 30 countries celebrate Valentine’s Day.
Reasons digital retailers shouldn’t miss out on Valentine’s Day in 2025
The traffic spikes that historically occur in the weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day suggest that every year, online sellers have a window of opportunity to increase their sales temporarily.
In 2024, consumers worldwide spent billions of dollars on Valentine’s Day gifts. A significant percentage of the transactions during that period occurred online, generating substantial profit for sellers on online markets.
In 2024, US consumers spent nearly $3 billion on roses alone and are expected to do the same in 2025.
The numbers unequivocally show the benefits of creating limited discount offers, running email and ad campaigns, or creating Valentine’s Day content for your website. However, what figures often fail to reflect is Valentine’s Day’s impact on the brand’s customer base.
In other words, a positive shopping experience on Valentine’s Day often leads to repeated purchases throughout the year.
Consequently, even ecommerce brands that don’t offer items from product categories that are traditionally in-demand, like confectionary or greeting cards, on this day can still benefit from Valentine’s Day and use it to strengthen and expand their customer base.
Get our free 2025 ecommerce calendar today and start exploring sales opportunities for your brand on domestic and international digital markets.
Valentine’s Day spending trends online sellers must know
The expenditure in the US is expected to continue increasing on Valentine’s Day in 2025 after reaching a record $25.8 billion in 2024.
A recent report revealed that Valentine’s Day spending in the UK exceeded £2 billion in 2024. Furthermore, the stats show that only 36% of Britons celebrate Valentine’s Day.
This data is in stark contrast to the US. 50% of Americans planned to celebrate V-Day in 2024. Furthermore, 49% of couples in France and 46% of couples in Germany either plan to have a romantic date or spend February 14 with their partner.
These stats show that V Day’s popularity varies by country, and international sellers must consider this while preparing their marketing and sales strategies for this online sales event.
The average spending on Valentine’s Day also differs from one country to another. So, consumers in the UK had an average spending budget of £83, while Americans plan to spend $101.84 on average in 2024.
Moreover, Spaniards spend approximately £111 on Valentine’s Day gifts per person, followed by the French and Italians, who dedicate £107 to presents for their loved ones.
Interestingly, Germans spend only £84 on V-Day, while nearly 50% of men in the Netherlands spend £50 or less on this day.
Valentine’s Day in Numbers
The number of product searches on eBay, Amazon, and Google has steadily increased since the start of the decade as shoppers around the world look for V-Day gift ideas.
The traffic spike usually starts in January and continues until February 14, which reveals that even though many people start shopping early, a considerable amount of consumers wait until the last moment to get a gift for their loved ones.
Over the last several years, approximately 50% of total flower, candy, and greeting card sales in the US took place between February 11 and February 14. This statistic vividly demonstrates that a considerable portion of V-Day sales come from late shoppers.
Still, online sellers shouldn’t expect consumers to splash out on Valentine’s Day in 2025, as 49% will consider the cost when choosing gifts. That said, style, delivery speed, and brand reputation will heavily influence buying decisions this year.
Furthermore, roughly 40% of adults celebrating Valentine’s Day intend to buy presents online, although not exclusively for their partners.
Last year, 29% of Valentine’s Day gifts were for children, classmates, teachers, or pets. This means that international sellers can boost their sales in 2025 by including toys, dog accessories, and other items in their V-Day offers.
Consumer behavior on Valentine’s Day
Understanding how your potential clients think about Valentine’s Day can help you anticipate which products they’re likely to purchase and how they plan to spend their money.
For instance, around six million people get engaged on February 14 every year.
As a result, a significant number of shoppers will be looking for engagement rings, candles, different types of decorations, and unique, memorable items that can make this special day even more special.
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On average, men in the US spend around $340 on V-Day gifts, while women spend an average of $64. However, men are more likely to purchase conventional gifts like chocolates and flowers. Women, on the other hand, commonly opt for concert tickets and personalized gifts.
Furthermore, younger millennials and Gen X are usually the biggest spenders on Valentine’s Day since 86% of shoppers in their late 20s and early 30s intend to spend up to $500 on average.
It’s also worth adding that over 50% of people aged 18 to 34 don’t plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day but still intend to make it special by buying anti-Valentine’s gifts, going out with their friends, or getting themselves a present.
The best-selling Valentine’s Day Gifts in 2025
Greeting cards, flowers, and candy are customarily the most popular gifts on Valentine’s Day. In 2024, 57% of US consumers planned to choose candy as a gift for their friends or partners, while 40% opted for gift cards.
Flowers were the third most popular Valentine’s Day gift last year, with 39% of shoppers opting for a bouquet or living plant. An evening out, jewelry, watches, clothing, and gift cards are also popular V-Day gifts.
DIY presents, such as baked cookies, knitted scarves, booklets, or personalized photo albums, are growing in popularity, creating a demand for art supplies, knitting equipment, and countless other items.
Cosmetic products, exercise equipment, lingerie, and inexpensive perfumes are some of the least popular gifts for both genders.
It’s also worth adding that pet owners in the US spend over $2 billion on V-Day gifts for their pets, but only 1% of consumers choose a pet as a Valentine’s Day gift.
Celebrate Valentine’s Day to maximize online sales opportunities
Crunching the numbers is paramount for understanding customer behavior on Valentine’s Day and the types of products they like to spend money on.
Still, making Valentine’s Day 2025 a success comes down to details, such as the colors you chose for your store or an innovative approach to your advertising campaign.
Even though chocolate and flowers will likely dominate V-Day sales in 2025, sellers on digital markets can still capitalize on this day even though they don’t feature items from these categories in their stores.
Managing an ecommerce business on international markets and making the most out of the key sales events of the year can be challenging. Webinterpret’s solutions for eBay can help you manage the load and help your business grow.
About Webinterpret
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By giving your international customers a full, end-to-end local shopping experience, Webinterpret improves your conversion and helps establish your business globally.
