Retail Occasions Series: UK Valentine's Day 2025

PUBLISHED: March 4, 2025

PAGES: 100 Pages

DELIVERY TIME: 1-2 business days

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The UK Valentine's Day 2025 report forms part of the Retail Occasions series, and offers a comprehensive overview of the major retail occasion of Valentine's Day. The report analyses the market, the major players, the main trends and consumer attitudes.

This year, consumers opted to splash out for Valentine's Day. Over two thirds of Valentine's Day shoppers spent more on the occasion this year than in 2024. Gifting rebounded in popularity as consumers felt more at ease to indluge for the occasion, though food & drink gifting remains the favoured method to celebrate, leisure spend rose to its highest level since 2021 as consumers supplemented spend on gifts with meals out and events.

Key Highlights

Spending on Valentine's Day has risen as consumers feel more financially secure.
Gifting popularity has surged this year, with 6 out of 10 Valentine's Day shoppers purchasing this category in 2025
Spending on leisure reached its highest level since 2021 as consumers felt confident to splash out on takeaways and meals out to celebrate.

Reasons to Buy

Identify the key retailers used by consumers to purchase Valentine's Day products across various categories, and what drives consumers to shop with these retailers.
Understand the most popular Valentine's Day categories shopped for by consumers in 2025.
Understand which channels used by consumers are the most popular when shopping for Valentine's Day products.

Product Code: GDRT250005OC

KEY FINDINGS

Summary of Valentine's Day 2025
The key findings
Consumers feel more financially secure to treat their loved ones this Valentine's Day
Consumers favour convenient gifting options to celebrate Valentine's Day with loved ones
Desire to spend on leisure grows in 2025 as consumers feel comfortable to splurging on the occasion
Trend insight - stores
Trend insight - online

CONSUMER ATTITUDES

Buying dynamics
Financial wellbeing
Valentine's Day spending
Financial spending
Who shoppers bought for
Valentine's Day activities
Meal choices
Takeaway cuisines
Dining in choices
Valentine's Day statements
Retailer selection
Retailer ratings - grocers
Retailer ratings - non-food retailers
Retailer drivers by category

FOOD & DRINK

Buying dynamics
Retailer selection
Channel usage
Store type
Device usage
Fulfilment
Spending
Buying dynamics

GIFTING

Buying dynamics
Retailer selection
Channel usage
Store type
Device usage
Fulfilment
Spending
Planned/Impulse Purchases
Personalisation

CARDS & GIFT WRAP

Buying dynamics
Retailer selection
Channel usage
Store type
Device usage
Fulfilment
Spending
Planned/Impulse Purchases
Personalisation

METHODOLOGY

Technical details: consumer survey work

Product Code: GDRT250005OC

List of Table

List of Tables

Retailer ratings across key measures - grocers, 2025
Retailer ratings across key measures - non-food retailers, 2025
Percentage point change - top 10 retailers shopped at for Valentine's Day food & drink, 2024 to 2025
Percentage point chang

List of Figure

List of Figures

Consumers shopping for Valentine's Day, by gender and age, 2025
Top five Valentine's Day activities undertaken, 2025
Most purchased gifting categories, 2025
Top retailers shopped at for cards & gift wrap, 2025
Proportion of consumers that agreed with the statement 'Valentine's Day is an important celebration for me', 2025
Proportion of Valentine's Day shoppers that spent more on Valentine's Day this year than last year, 2025
Highest rated grocers, 2025
Valentine's Day dining in choices, 2025
Valentine's Day participation penetration, 2023, 2024 & 2025
Valentine's Day shopper penetration, 2023, 2024 & 2025
Valentine's Day shopper profile, 2025
Valentine's Day retail penetration, 2023, 2024 & 2025
Valentine's Day leisure penetration, 2023, 2024 & 2025
Financial wellbeing compared to last year, 2024 & 2025
Valentine's Day spending compared to last year, 2024 & 2025
How consumers financed Valentine's Day spending compared to last year, 2024 & 2025
How consumers split Valentine's Day spending between retail & leisure, 2025
Who consumers spent money on for Valentine's Day, 2024 & 2025
Valentine's Day activities undertaken, 2025
Valentine's Day meal choices, 2025
Valentine's Day takeaway cuisines, 2024 & 2025
Valentine's Day dining in choices, 2024 & 2025
Agreement and disagreement with statements about Valentine's Day 2025, and change on 2024
Which retailer did the best job of promoting or communicating deals for Valentine's Day 2025, and change on 2024
What's driving retailer selection - summary, 2025
Food & drink penetration, 2023, 2024 & 2025
Retailers shopped at for food & drink, 2024 & 2025
Retailers most shopped at for food & drink, 2024 & 2025
What's driving food & drink retailer selection 2025, and change on 2024
Consumers switching from their usual main food & drink retailer, 2023, 2024 & 2025
Retailers consumers switched to, 2024 & 2025
Consumers using each channel for food & drink, 2025
Consumers using each physical store type for food & drink, 2025
Consumers using each device for food & drink purchases, 2025
Consumers using each fulfilment option for food & drink, 2024 & 2025
Valentine's Day food & drink average spend 2025, and change on 2024
Sweet products penetration, 2025 (by demographic) and 2023 & 2024 penetration
Meat & meat-free alternatives penetration, 2025 (by demographic) and 2023 & 2024 penetration
Alcoholic drinks penetration, 2025 (by demographic) and 2023 & 2024 penetration
Fruit & vegetables penetration, 2025 (by demographic) and 2023 & 2024 penetration
Breakfast foods penetration, 2025 (by demographic) and 2023 & 2024 penetration
Frozen foods penetration, 2025 (by demographic)
Non-alcoholic drinks penetration, 2025 (by demographic) and 2023 & 2024 penetration
Fish penetration, 2025 (by demographic) and 2023 & 2024 penetration
Delicatessen products penetration, 2025 (by demographic) and 2023 & 2024 penetration
Planned/impulse purchases, food & drink, 2025
Gifting overall penetration, 2023, 2024 & 2025
Retailers shopped at for gifts, 2024 & 2025
What's driving gifts retailer selection 2025, and change on 2024
Consumers using each channel for gifts, 2025
Consumers using each physical store type for gifts, 2025
Consumers using each device for gifts purchases, 2025
Consumers using each fulfilment option for gifts, 2024 & 2025
Valentine's Day gifts average spend 2025, and change on 2024
Food & drink gifts penetration, 2025 (by demographic) and 2023 & 2024 penetration
Flowers & plants penetration, 2025 (by demographic) and 2023 & 2024 penetration
Fine jewellery & watches penetration, 2025 (by demographic) and 2023 & 2024 penetration
Clothing penetration, 2025 (by demographic) and 2023 & 2024 penetration
Health & beauty penetration, 2025 (by demographic) and 2023 & 2024 penetration
Accessories & footwear penetration, 2025 (by demographic) and 2023 & 2024 penetration
Soft toys penetration, 2025 (by demographic) and 2023 & 2024 penetration
Experience gifts penetration, 2025 (by demographic) and 2023 & 2024 penetration
Homewares penetration, 2025 (by demographic) and 2023 & 2024 penetration
Stationery penetration, 2025 (by demographic) and 2023 & 2024 penetration
Entertainment penetration, 2025 (by demographic) and 2023 & 2024 penetration
Vouchers & money penetration, 2025 (by demographic) and 2023 & 2024 penetration
Electricals penetration, 2025 (by demographic) and 2023 & 2024 penetration
Books penetration, 2025 (by demographic) and 2023 & 2024 penetration
Sports penetration, 2025 (by demographic) and 2023 & 2024 penetration
Planned/impulse purchases, gifts, 2025
Personalised products, gifts, 2024 & 2025
Cards & gift wrap penetration, 2025 (by demographic) and 2023 & 2024 penetration
Retailers shopped at for cards & gift wrap, 2024 & 2025
What's driving cards and gift wrap retailer selection 2025, and change on 2024
Consumers using each channel for cards & gift wrap, 2025
Consumers using each physical store type for cards & gift wrap, 2025
Consumers using each device for cards & gift wrap purchases, 2025
Consumers using each fulfilment option for cards & gift wrap, 2024 & 2025
Cards penetration, 2025 (by demographic) and 2023 & 2024 penetration
Gift wrap penetration, 2025 (by demographic) and 2023 & 2024 penetration
Planned/impulse purchases, cards & gift wrap, 2025
Proportion of consumers that personalised cards, 2024 & 2025