Valentine’s Day 2016 falls on a weekend, Sunday February 14th. Many in the U.S. floral industry believe that a weekend Valentine’s Day results in dampened floral sales. Prince & Prince (P&P) test this “theory” with historical U.S. consumer floral purchasing data for Valentine’s Day from P&P surveys conducted in 1996, 2000, 2007, 2010, and 2013. P&P compare household Valentine’s Day floral purchasing (incidence of floral purchase) when the holiday fell on weekdays (1996, 2000, 2007, 2013), and when the holiday fell on a weekend (2010).
The P&P survey data suggests a slight increase in consumer floral purchasing for Valentine’s Day when the holiday falls on the weekend, compared to weekday holidays. Of all floral-buying households that purchase for Valentine’s Day (around 49% in 2013), about two percent more households purchase for a weekend holiday, which translates into an estimated $130 million in additional floral spending for Valentine’s Day. Thus, the P&P consumer research findings refute the floral industry’s “common knowledge” related to less floral purchasing for a weekend Valentine’s Day.
The increase in weekend Valentine’s Day floral purchasing is largely driven at both ends of the household income ladder, among more mature floral-buyer segments (age 55 and older), and among single-male households. While younger-aged households (under age 35) still show strong likelihood to purchase floral products for Valentine’s Day, a weekend holiday (as in 2016) likely offers more opportunities to target additional consumer groups to expand the market for this all-important floral holiday.
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