Romantic Gestures

Gift exchanges are at the heart of this occasion. More than 60% of consumers bought a present for their significant other for Valentine’s Day last year, Circana’s research shows.

Favorites feel the love

Flowers and candy have been Valentine’s Day staples for decades and still lead the pack as the top two Valentine’s Day categories based on the week-over-week dollar lift for the two weeks ending Feb. 15, 2025 versus the two weeks ending Feb. 1, 2025. Another Circana dataset showed that overall flower sales increased 1.6% for the four-week period ending Feb. 23, 2025, coming in at nearly $1.28 billion. Combined, dollar sales of chocolate and non-chocolate candy topped $3.25 billion during that same time frame.

Within those categories, chocolate candy and roses are the power couple. Chocolate candy sales edged up 0.5% during the four-week period ending Feb. 23, 2025, reaching more than $2.15 billion. On the floral front, sales of roses grew a healthy 4.1% year-over-year to reach the $415.2 million mark. After roses, the most popular floral items were arrangements, bouquets, and potted plants, respectively. 

Faster heartbeats

Circana’s data highlights emerging health and wellness gift items for Cupid’s Day. Sales of fitness trackers increased in both 2024 and 2025, with dollar sales rising a whopping 187% last year, as shoppers purchased items such as Oura rings as a token of their affection.

A thing of beauty

The attraction to the beauty category continues. In the two weeks leading up to Valentine's Day 2025, fragrance accounted for 24% of prestige dollars, up three points from the prior year. During the week of Valentine's Day, fragrance accounted for 36% of dollars in prestige, and dollars increased 15 percent. Other growth segments included body mists, makeup, and skincare.

Food and beverage as a love language

Candy isn’t the only consumable product in many consumers’ carts for this mini holiday. The wine/beer/liquor sector is right behind candy and flowers, with a $238 million period-over-period dollar lift into the Valentine’s Day shopping weeks. Bakery and fruit categories landed in the top 10 Valentine’s Day-related categories during that period. The retail baking aisle outpaced the bakery aisle, underscoring shoppers’ interest in make-it-yourself declarations of love and friendship.

Be mine

There’s a little self-love at work, too, for a holiday that happens in the middle of winter. More than 40% of consumers reported that they bought a Valentine’s Day gift for themselves in 2025, with perfume/cologne and apparel topping that list.

Love at First Sight

Whether given to a partner, friend, Galentine, or family member, books are on the list of Valentine’s Day giftables. Circana’s data shows that the juvenile books segment was especially strong, experiencing a 22% lift in units compared to the two weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day.

Digital picture frames are also wrapped up as gifts for this occasion. Dollar sales of these products surged 148% in the two weeks preceding Valentine’s Day last year. 

Date nights for Valentine’s Day in 2026 may include a trip to the movies. The latest Circana research indicates that movie theater traffic has rebounded since pandemic-related declines: traffic is more than 60% higher than 2019 levels.

Table for Two?

Many couples (and Galentine’s groups!) mark the Valentine’s Day occasion by going out to dinner. Circana’s data shows that although the holiday does not typically lift restaurant traffic much for the full week, it does provide a major lift for casual dining restaurants and the dinner daypart in particular.

The fact that Feb. 14 falls on a Saturday this year changes things a bit, given the fact that people often go out to eat on a weekend evening anyway. When Valentine’s Day is on a weekday, transactions are up 1.4% versus the prior week; on a weekend, those transactions tend to trend down versus the prior week. That said, foodservice operators can take the opportunity to boost traffic and checks by creating unique dining experiences for patrons looking for a special celebration.

As retailers and brands gear up for this latest holiday rush, they can leverage data that signals areas of opportunity for the 2026 Valentine’s weekend. Even as people remain focused on value, consumers have shown ongoing resilience and interest in new and different products and experiences. That is likely to continue through the next round of mini holidays, too, from Big Game gatherings to St. Patrick’s Day celebrations to March Madness get-togethers.