You have probably noticed the Valentine’s Day merchandise already hitting the shelves. Although most Valentine’s Day sales come three days prior to the 14th, getting your Valentine’s items out earlier this year could be to your benefit, for a couple of reasons:
Valentine’s Day is on a Sunday. Historically when Valentine’s Day falls on a weekend, retail sales drop a bit. This is because instead of buying products, couples go out to restaurants and date destinations. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), when Valentine’s Day was on Saturday in 2009 consumers spent about $14.7 billion compared to $17 billion in 2008.
The Super Bowl is early this year. With Valentine’s Day falling on the week after the Super Bowl, retailers will have to be on their best selling game. Men’s attention will be preoccupied, so getting them into the Valentine’s mood may be tricky. Start reminding them early that they need to think about the ladies in their lives.
The most popular items purchased for Valentines from the NRF include:
- Cards
- Evening Out
- Candy
- Flowers
- Jewelry
- Clothing
- Gift Cards
If your store sells these items, highlight them at the front of your store, near registers and with Valentine’s Day sale signage. Appeal to men’s shopping behavior by making it easy to see items that would be perfect for their wife or girlfriend.
What is a big Valentine’s Day seller for your store?
Tags: holidays, retail tips, tuesday tips, valentines day
