Digital News Report- This year Valentine’s Day trends are different than previous years for a variety of reasons, including the nations recent economic downturn. Once again proving that men are from Mars and women are from Venus, the sexes have discovered different ways of dealing with the romantic holiday with a tight budget.
“Based on our survey results, men assumed a dozen red roses is the ultimate way to show their love this Valentine’s Day, while women much prefer jewelry and love notes to roses,” said Shira Zwebner, Relationship Advisor for Date.com, Matchmaker.com and Amor.com. “Women want their gifts to be just like their relationships – everlasting – and would appreciate a love note or a timeless piece of jewelry that they can treasure for years to come, more than a dozen red roses that won’t last a week.”
Regardless of the difference of opinion between the sexes, florists can look forward to strong sales despite the recession. The National Retail Federation is forecasting $14.7 billion to be spent during this recession – with 36% of that on roses.
However, a poll by Porter Novelli Styles has noted a sharp decline in romance in recent years. In 2003 less than 50% of women and men described themselves as romantic. When the same question was asked in 2008, the numbers slipped for both women (from 44% to 42%) and men (from 38% to 36%).
“In an era where personal communication is less and less a face-to-face proposition, it is not surprising to see romantic feelings decrease. Status updates, SuperPokes and tweets have redefined human interaction, but they have not yet redefined romance,” said Adam Burns, Vice President of Strategic Research at Porter Novelli.
The economy may also be partially to blame for the declining romance. “This adds an interesting twist to Valentine’s Day gift-buying,” said Michael Ramah, Partner, Director of Strategic Planning at Porter Novelli. “We may see more success with efforts centering on friendship and parent/child relationships than with those focused on romantic love.”