Brenda Tran and Julia Oh say they’re both switching things up this Valentine’s Day.
The London, Ont., friends plan to spend Feb. 14 with their respective partners, but they’ll take a step back on purchasing costly gifts despite the teddy bears and heart-shaped chocolate lining store shelves.
“In the beginning of the relationship, I bought a lot more things, but then slowly I felt like it wasn’t really sustainable,” Tran said, adding she previously spent between $100 and $200 yearly on presents for her long-term boyfriend.
“As a student, it’s hard to continue to spend that much money for it to sit on a shelf or whatnot.”
The pressure to spend big on Valentine’s Day is common, with companies pushing products for a holiday known for love and gift giving, according to experts and data.
Julia Oh and Brenda Tran, left to right, are friends who say they plan to focus on ‘experiences’ rather than gifts this Valentine’s Day, citing the increasing cost of living and desire to spend more time with their partners.
(Kendra Seguin/CBC News)
A CIBC survey conducted by market research company Ipsos found 56 per cent of Canadians were planning Valentine’s Day purchases, with people aged 18 to 34 the biggest spenders this year. Young Canadians planned to shell out an average of more than $200 this year, according to the findings.
For the survey, conducted between Jan. 22 and 26, 1,500 Canadians were interviewed online. The results are considered accurate within 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Sumitra Auschaitrakul, a University of Guelph professor of marketing and consumer behaviour, said emotions can be a strong driver of Valentine’s Day spending.
The price (tag) of love
“When people are emotional, they don’t really think about the values, right? They use their heart instead of their head in driving the decision-making.”
Sumitra Auschaitrakul, a University of Guelph professor of marketing and consumer behaviour, says the pressure to spend on Valentine’s Day has expanded to include purchases for friends, family and pets. (Submitted by Sumitra Auschaitrakul)
Social media can also play a big role in stirring need-to-spend feelings, said Oh, noting her TikTok feed is filled with videos of expensive gift ideas.
“You see what other people are getting their partners and you’re thinking, ‘Should I be doing all this?’ It’s really easy to get sucked into it … Just seeing all that gets me overthinking sometimes.”
Auschaitrakul said people don’t just face pressure to buy gifts for partners.
“Over time, I’ve seen some diversities and trend changes. Instead of just buying for your romantic love, you can also buy for yourself, friends, family and pets,” she said.
“If you think about a brand’s perspective, they’re limiting their target market or the opportunities for consumers to spend if it’s only romantic love. If they sell dog food, for example … they will frame it that if you love your dog, you can also give a gift to your dog.”
But rising living costs are making such spending more difficult for many people. According to the CIBC-Ipsos survey, 45 per cent of those polled said they intended to cut back this year.
Still, CBC spoke to workers at stores that specialize in flowers, chocolate and other traditional Valentine’s Day gifts who said business hasn’t slowed down over the years.
Lovebird Flowers owner Kendra Clarke, left, and Babic prepare for a busy weekend at the shop. They say people are still willing to spend big on traditional Valentine’s Day gifts.
(Kendra Seguin/CBC News)
“I think Valentine’s Day is the one time of year where we see people want to go all out and show their affection in a very big way,” said Lovebird Flowers owner Kendra Clarke. “People aren’t necessarily coming to us to save money. They’re looking to do something larger and a little more grand.”
Clarke said she expects the store to be packed on Saturday, especially with last-minute shoppers willing to purchase bouquets at any price.
At the Chocolate Factory inside the Covent Garden Market in London, salesperson Vicky McCormick said that even extends to Feb. 15.
“It’s the guys that are in the doghouse that come in.
“I find that you can sell them anything that day. I always try to upsell,” she said with a grin.
Trading in expensive gifts for experiences
Tran and Oh, however, said they’re over traditional Valentine’s Day presents and instead will opt to focus on “experiences” with their partners.
Tran said she and her boyfriend plan to go out to eat, watch a movie and go shopping together on Saturday.
Oh said she and her boyfriend will also go to a movie theatre, but will cook their dinner together at home.
“For me personally, quality time is more of an important thing than actual gift giving.”
The Chocolate Factory at the Covent Garden Market has a large Valentine’s Day-themed display. Salesperson Vicky McCormick says there’s often a huge lineup on Feb. 14 and Feb. 15. (Kendra Seguin/CBC News)
Tran recommends that other couples have a conversation about how they prefer to mark Valentine’s Day.
“You know yourself well and your relationship well, so just do what makes sense for your relationship. Don’t feel too pressured with all the social media buzz.”
For anyone planning to buy gifts for loved ones, Auschaitrakul said it’s important to slow down and be rational with money.
“You might be triggered by seeing shelf discounts, you might be triggered by being under pressure that it’s Valentine’s Day so you need to spend,” she said. “Pause and think about whether you really need to purchase the product or not.”
