Valentine’s Day is an important occasion for online sellers, as it can significantly impact their sales and overall business performance in the year’s first quarter. Since it is one of the top consumer spending events, online sellers must take steps to prepare for this celebration to achieve profitable Valentine’s Day 2025 sales.
Valentine’s Day: A Brief Background
Valentine’s Day is said to have originated from the Lupercalia celebration that takes place annually in the middle of February. The festival was then Christianized by Pope Gelasius I, who dedicated it to Saint Valentine, hence its current name.
The holiday became widely recognized and celebrated in the 18th and 19th centuries, emphasizing gift-giving as an expression of love and affection. These gifts are meant to show fondness and gratitude for the person receiving them.
Valentine’s Day Sales in Numbers
Valentine’s Day is another avenue for sellers, especially Amazon sellers, to increase their revenue in the year’s first quarter. Sellers can access a profitable market by capitalizing on consumers’ willingness to spend on this occasion. In 2024, consumer spending on Valentine’s Day reached an impressive $25.8 billion, suggesting a strong potential for continued high spending in 2025 as people celebrate this special day.
Historically, consumer spending per person on Valentine’s Day gifts has increased, averaging around $169.65 since 2017. While there is no specific data yet on Valentine’s Day 2025 spending, we can make an educated estimate based on past trends.
Over the years, total spending has generally risen, from $136.57 in 2017 to a peak of $196.31 in 2020. Although spending dipped in 2021, likely due to the pandemic, it rebounded in subsequent years, with consumers spending $192.80 in 2023 and $185.81 in 2024. If this trend continues, it is reasonable to expect spending in 2025 to be between $190 and $200 per person.
| Valentine’s Day Year | Total Spending per person |
| 2017 | $136.57 |
| 2018 | $143.56 |
| 2019 | $161.96 |
| 2020 | $196.31 |
| 2021 | $164.76 |
| 2022 | $175.41 |
| 2023 | $192.80 |
| 2024 | $185.81 |
Source: Adapted from NRF’s Annual 2023 Valentine’s Day Spending (Updated for 2025)
Total spending could reach or exceed $26 billion, depending on the economy and how much people are willing to spend this year. However, this estimate is not fixed and may change based on factors such as economic conditions, inflation, and consumer sentiment as Valentine’s Day 2025 approaches.
What Products Should You Sell for Valentine’s | Great Gift Ideas Valentine’s Day
Awareness of popular Valentine’s Day gift items consumers seek on eCommerce sites like Amazon can give you an edge in your Valentine’s Day sale activities. Having such information can also help refine your Valentine’s Day promotion ideas. Here are some of the go-to gift shopper’s purchases during Valentine’s Day.
Flowers
Valentine’s Day is the number one holiday for floral purchases. According to the Society of American Florists, Valentine’s Day accounts for roughly 28% of annual floral sales. To capitalize on the heightened demand for flowers during Valentine’s Day 2025, your eCommerce store can offer complementary products that pair well with such gifts. You can bundle greeting cards, scented candles, and decorative or personalized vases to generate sales. C
Confectionery (Chocolate & Candy)
Confectioneries are some of the items that are highly purchased during Valentine’s Day. The American consumer considers chocolate and candy to be the perfect way to celebrate Valentine’s Day, so the Valentine’s Day season represents about $4 billion in confectionery sales annually.
Teddy Bears
A teddy bear is another high-profit niche you can sell during Valentine’s Day 2025. A teddy bear is a popular gift to significant others during Valentine’s Day because it connotes the feeling of warmth and love. Furthermore, teddy bears complement other notable Valentine’s Day gifts, such as chocolates and flowers.
The growth of eCommerce has fueled the development of the teddy bear industry. By 2031, its global industry value is estimated to reach up to $9 billion and is projected to have a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.3%. One of the ways to maximize sales for this particular product is to offer custom texts on the teddy bear itself.
Beauty Products
Beauty products are another go-to product you can list for Valentine’s Day 2025 in your store. Over the past years, beauty products have been highly requested gifts, especially among women. Some of the top-selling beauty products on Amazon today include but are not limited to acne pimple patch, makeup remove dry wipes, collagen mask, false lash effect mascara.
Fashion and Apparel
Fashion and apparel should be a primary focus for Valentine’s Day 2025, as spending on these items has consistently increased yearly. The growth observed in 2024 demonstrates consumers’ preference for stylish and customized gifts. Online sellers can take advantage of this trend by offering curated collections and exclusive deals tailored for the season, including products like jewelry, clothing, and footwear.
Greeting Cards
Greeting cards are one of Valentine’s Day’s most thoughtful and cherished gift options. In 2024, an impressive 40% of consumers included greeting cards in their Valentine’s Day plans, highlighting their lasting appeal.
This trend will remain strong in 2025 as more people seek meaningful and personal ways to express love and affection. To take advantage of this trend, consider offering physical cards for Valentine’s Day and complementary products like chocolates, jewelry, or teddy bears.
Valentine’s Day A Non-Traditional Opportunity for Amazon Sellers
While most consumers see Valentine’s Day as a global celebration of love, not everyone observes it traditionally. Interestingly, since 2021, the number of people choosing to skip conventional Valentine’s celebrations has steadily increased.
Data Source: NRF
However, there’s an interesting trend: many people who skip traditional Valentine’s Day festivities still choose to spend money during this occasion.
15% – to treat themselves to something special, embracing self-love.
3% – to purchase “anti-Valentine’s Day” gifts.
11% – to host gatherings with single friends or family members.
This trend offers a unique opportunity for online sellers to meet the growing demand for non-traditional Valentine’s Day gifts. Interestingly, more than 50% of these shoppers are between the ages of 18 and 34, and the next largest group, 42%, is within the 25 to 34 age range.
How Can You Capitalize on This Trend?
To effectively cater to the unconventional preferences of some online shoppers during Valentine’s Day, consider offering products that appeal to these non-traditional consumers. As online entrepreneurs, you should understand that Valentine’s Day is not just about roses and chocolates anymore. Recognize that there are also consumers to celebrate in their unique way.
Consider including self-care items, quirky “anti-Valentine’s” gifts, or other products promoting self-love and individuality. By targeting these customer segments, you can tap into a growing demand that aligns with changing consumer preferences during Valentine’s Day.
Valentine’s Day Marketing Strategies to Win Shoppers’ Hearts
If you wish to improve your sales performance in the first quarter of the year, you should take the necessary steps to improve your Valentine’s Day campaign. Here are some Valentine’s Day marketing ideas you can implement to give you a head start for your eCommerce business.
Valentine’s Day Interactive Social Media Post
Creating engaging social media posts is one of the best ways to capture shoppers’ attention this Valentine’s Day. Create interactive social media posts that will entice your audience to participate.
Asking people on social media what Valentine’s Day gift they wish to receive is a good marketing strategy. A simple survey question or contest will give your followers a reason to interact with your post. Thus keeping social media engagement at the forefront of your marketing campaign.
Valentine’s Day Gift List
Valentine’s Day 2025 gift ideas on your online store or social media can benefit last-minute shoppers. Giving shoppers thoughts on what to buy for this Valentine’s Day 2025 is a good marketing strategy, especially if such a Valentine’s Day gift list is centered around your products.
This Valentine’s Day marketing idea will improve your Valentine’s Day sales performance and your inventory movement, allowing you to highlight slow-moving products.
Valentine’s Day Product Bundles
Product bundling is another marketing idea that can help increase your sales and improve inventory movement. This tested and proven strategy works for online retailers, including Amazon sellers.
By grouping your inventory items together, you can make Valentine’s Day shoppers buy more than one product during a single purchase. Thus increasing your average order value. For example, you can bundle chocolates with flowers and jewelry with greeting cards.
Such a marketing strategy is so effective that Amazon has even incorporated it on its platform, as observed in its “frequently bought together” or “buy it with” section.
Valentine’s Day Video Marketing
Around 96% of marketers view video as an essential part of their marketing strategy. Video marketing will improve brand awareness and give shoppers a better understanding of your product.
Online sellers no longer have to produce their own marketing videos from scratch, as online services now cater to this requirement. To save the extra cost on online service, you can leverage user-friendly online video creator tools so businesses can easily create professional-looking videos without needing extensive time and expertise. The lack of time and expertise are no longer valid excuses for not creating a marketing video for your brand.
If you wish to increase your Valentine’s Day sales, you should consider using video for product marketing.
Valentine’s Day Direct Marketing Tactics
Another Valentine’s Day marketing method you should consider for this Valentine’s Day 2025 is direct marketing. Direct marketing approaches such as SMS and email marketing enable you to promote your products directly to consumers.
Additionally, once done correctly, direct marketing enables you to target potential buyers efficiently and offer a more personalized message. It is also generally considered to be low cost while providing high ROI.
Valentine’s Day Influencer Marketing
In addition to your social media campaign, you can expand your audience reach by collaborating with online influencers from various social media platforms. Influencer marketing is an effective strategy to help your brand or product reach more demographic-specific consumers. Influencers can promote your product and entice loyal customers to your business with relevant content.
Valentine’s Day Sponsored Ads
If you sell on the Amazon marketplace, you can use Amazon Sponsored Ads to enhance engagement and sales conversion for the upcoming Valentine’s Day season. Sponsored Ads serve as advertising tools that enable sellers to boost the visibility of their products and enhance brand awareness, particularly during Valentine’s Day spending. Notable Amazon advertising options encompass Sponsored Products and Sponsored Brands.
Offer Competitive Prices for Valentine’s Day Shoppers
Pricing defines the value a product is worth, and the price is adjusted to a particular value suitable to both seller and customer. The price you associate with your product or brand can likewise serve as a marketing tool to help improve your Valentine’s Day sales.
You should also consider product pricing to have a practical Valentine’s Day marketing campaign. No matter how great your marketing strategies are, potential customers may lose interest in your product or brand if the price is not competitive.
To offer competitive prices for your eCommerce store, you need to research your competitors and understand their pricing behavior. However, not everyone has the resources to do so.
To overcome this challenge, online sellers use repricing software to keep pace with changes in demand for price adjustments. Specifically, high-volume Amazon sellers employ AI-powered Amazon repricers to adjust their listing prices to a more competitive level.
Maximize Marketing Strategies for Optimal Results
For a successful Valentine’s Day marketing strategy, it’s essential to combine multiple approaches rather than relying on a single tactic. A well-integrated strategy increases the chances of running effective Valentine’s Day marketing campaigns, ultimately driving better sales performance during the Valentine’s Day event.
Moreover, analyzing past performance data is crucial in refining your approach. Understanding what worked and what didn’t can help you avoid past mistakes and implement strategies that lead to improved results.
By leveraging a combination of insights and strategic planning, you can maximize your success this Valentine’s Day.
