What Will Average Americans Buy With $143.56 on Valentine’s Day?

Pet purchases and self-pampering will be big with millennials and Gen Z

The National Retail Federation expects total nationwide spending to top $19.6 billion for Valentine’s Day 2018.

The latest figures from the National Retail Federation suggest 55% of people plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day by purchasing jewelry ($4.7 billion), an evening out ($3.7 billion) and flowers ($2 billion). Other gift categories include clothing ($1.9 billion) and candy ($1.8 billion).

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NRF also provided details on how millennials and Gen Z plan to spend the holiday. A quarter of consumers younger than 35 plan to purchase Valentine’s Day gifts for their pets, and they’ll outspend older shoppers. Retailers including PetSmart have Valentine’s Day sections on their websites and subscription service company BarkBox has a “Palentine’s Day” collection.

NRF also found 69% of people aged 18 to 24 plan to give candy on Valentine’s Day, compared with 55% of consumers overall. Among those 25 to 34 years old, 62% plan to give sweet gifts.

Of those in the 18- to 24-year-old range who say they don’t plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day, half say they still expect to participate in some self care and treat themselves. Some brands, including Lush Cosmetics and Birchbox offer Valentine’s Day collections that they note can be used to treat yourself.