-
Some retailers will put together high-end
luxury packages, such as Neiman Marcus' "Ultimate Engaging Valentine"
which cost $35,000 in 1997.
-
Half a billion dollars worth of roses are
sold Valentine's week.
-
$1.7 billion dollars will be spent on Valentines
candy in 2005, the fourth largest candy holiday after Halloween, Easter,
and Christmas
-
Nearly a billion U.S. dollars were spent on
Valentine's Day cards alone in 2005. Only at Christmas are more cards
sent out.
-
The Valentine's holiday accounts for 33% of
all holiday flower sales.
-
Gift cards are the up and coming Valentine's
gift.
-
Should your mail-order flowers wilt the next
day, the recipient should be candid and the sender should get a free
replacement bouquet from the florist.
-
Where do our roses come from? South America,
via Miami. Lore has it that the Latin American roses have bigger buds,
but domestic roses smell sweeter.
-
Novelty items include flowers dipped in 24k
gold and Cartier's screw-motif love bracelet, which comes with a screwdriver
so you can latch it.
-
Planning to buy chocolate? You can do so a
few weeks ahead of time, just store the chocolate in your vegetable
bin (this assumes that it is well sealed and that you won't nibble.)
-
Catalogers depend on valentine's sales and
mail out valentine's editions in January. Many cataloguers are seeing
their sales boom on the internet-See's Candies sent out half a million
catalogs in 2001 and got a 17% boost in internet sales.
-
Omaha Steaks also benefits from the romantic
holiday, selling more and more complete mail order meals, instead
of single steaks.
Sources:
Written and researched by Sylvie Beauvais, Philadelphia,
PA
Adapted from William Giese, "Love and Money" Shopping Smart,
Vol. 51, No. 2 (February 1997), p. 130; and "Catalogers Aglow over
Valentine's Sales" Catalog Age, March 15, 2001; and "Valentine's
Day Slated as Major retail Holiday" Gourmetretailer.com, February
4, 2005.
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