Loved up Brits give more this Valentines

A recent survey carried out via TNS' OnLineBus shows that 50% of adults plan or have already bought a gift for Valentine's Day, building on last year's success where nearly 14 million gifts, valued at £345 million, were purchased for Valentine's Day, according to TNS GiftTrak. This represented an extra £27 million being spent in 2005 on Valentines gifts compared to the previous year.

Despite the recently publicised slow down in consumer spending, due to factors such as higher interest rates and energy costs, only 6% of the public who would normally buy a Valentines gift said that they wouldn't this year. Men continue to be the principal buyers of Valentines gifts with total male spend on gifts last year reaching £245 million compared to just under £100 million for women. On average, men tend to splash out significantly more than women on individual gifts. In 2005, men spent an extra £10 per gift compared to women: £29.52 vs. £19.66. Flowers account for one in five gifts bought for Valentines, with other popular gifts including confectionery, CDs and soft toys.

TNS GiftTrak research shows strong regional variations in terms of average spend, with those living in the North spending more per gift (around £29) than those in the Midlands and South (around £24).

Average spend per region on Valentines gifts for February 14th 2005:



Alex Seron, managing consultant, TNS GiftTrak commented: 'Valentine's Day has grown significantly in recent years and we expect further gains in 2006 despite the current economic slowdown. This should be good news for retailers which are still suffering from post-Christmas blues.'