Whether the romance of Valentine’s Day gives you butterflies or rings a little sickly sweet, there’s no denying people LOVE shopping for the holiday. That’s pretty dreamy for us marketers. Spending is expected to remain steady this year, with people shopping for all kinds of special someones. And that opens the door for plenty of marketing strategies to help your brand share the love. We’ve compiled all the hottest 2025 Valentine’s Day spend, trends, and marketing tips so you can make the most of the heart-shaped holiday.
In 2025, 59 percent of consumers plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day worldwide. That’s up from the 53 percent who planned to celebrate last year in 2024. Chances are, a good portion of your target audience will be celebrating V-Day in some way or another this February. But even if they’re not, they may be interested in Anti-Valentine’s Day. So don’t count your brand out.
Of those opting out, around 3 percent will purchase Anti-Valentine’s Day gifts. Meanwhile, 15 percent will treat themselves to something special (self-love deserves to be celebrated too!) and 11 percent will get together with fellow single friends or family members. Check out some Anti-Valentine’s Day marketing ideas in one of our latest holiday strategy posts.
Love Ain’t Cheap
With all those people celebrating, there are lots of consumers spending. And consumers spend a lot on love. After 2024 Valentine’s Day spending hit $25.8 billion, experts project 2025 spending to land in the $26 billion range. Last year, $14.2 billion of that spending was dedicated to significant others. That accounts for about 55 percent of total spend.
It’s no surprise Valentine’s Day shoppers are spending for more than just their romantic partners. That leaves 45 percent of all spending for other special relationships. V-Day shoppers celebrate themselves, their kids, pets, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and other family members. In fact, Americans spent more than $2.1 billion spoiling their pets for Valentine’s Day last year, with one in five pet parents spending on their furry friends. So don’t think your Valentine’s Day marketing campaigns need to focus solely on romantic love.
In 2024, individual spending averaged $185.81. We expect 2025 spending to net out similarly, with the bulk of spending going toward gifts. When thinking about your V-Day campaign targeting, it’s important to note that men lead Valentine’s Day spending by more than double. Last year, men’s average spending on significant others netted out to $248. Compare that to women’s $115, and there’s a stark divide. So go for the guys when marketing.
Lovers Love Gifting
Collectively, in 2024, shoppers spent the most on jewelry (at $6.4B), evenings out (at $4.9B), clothing (at $3B), and the tried and true V-Day bouquet — flowers (at $2.6B). Gifts generally broke down to 57 percent giving candy, 40 percent opting for greeting cards, 39 percent purchasing flowers, 32 percent spending on an evening out, and 22 percent splurging on jewelry.
Share the Love with these Digital Marketing Tools
We wouldn’t be your friendly marketing mavens without giving a couple tips on how you can use this intel to create campaigns that you, your boss, and your customers will love. This season, we recommend you cozy up to Instagram Reels and Facebook Live.
Meta’s video features and ecommerce offerings will be your BFF for cross-channel campaigns. Online shopping is the most common source of Valentine’s Day spending. 40 percent of total spending will be online, and much of that traffic will be funnelled directly through social media. So this is a great time to run an influencer marketing or UGC campaign.
When you’re strategizing your lovey dovey campaigns, remember that cost is top of mind for V-Day spenders this year. 49 percent of shoppers are looking for max value when purchasing gifts. And 95 percent of online shoppers consult reviews before making a purchase. Consider running online Valentine’s Day sales and promotions and ensure your influencer and UGC product reviews get in front of your target audience by V-Day.
A Visual Guide to Valentine’s Day Trends and Spend
Check out our Valentine’s Day Infographic below to get all the sweet deets on:
- who’s spending the most money in the name of love
- what they’re spending their money on
- why spreading virtual love is key for V-Day marketing
- and how you can get your customers to fall in love with you
Get Your Customers to Fall In Love with You
While we can’t promise happily ever after, we hope these Valentine’s Day stats will help you leave your customers starry-eyed when they see your holiday campaign. Here at The Shelf, we’re all about spreading the love. And as marketers, we hope you love this data as much as we do!
If you’d like assistance implementing a last-minute Valentine’s Day campaign or you’re looking toward the future, we’re happy to help. Schedule a strategy call with one of our experts and we’ll make some marketing magic together.
XOXO from your favorite marketing admirers!
