Roses and teddy bears top the list of Valentine’s gifts
Recognising that 90% of couples tend to leave buying a gift for their loved one until the last minute, the 1 Insight and CRC VoiceShare are highlighting the top 10 perennially best-selling gifts to help retailers boost their sales in the run-up to Valentine’s Day, which falls on Wednesday.
They also recommend that shopping malls and restaurants, the two most popular locations for Valentine's Day celebrations, engage in effective communication that resonates with these last-minute lovers.
From the spending data of 2023, The 1 Insight has disclosed the top 10 most popular gifts that experienced remarkable growth in sales during the period leading up to Valentine's Day last year, noting that these trends exhibit a consistent pattern across every year.
Roses: +400%
Teddy Bears: +180%
Jewellery: +95%
Watches: +59%
Perfumes: +50%
Chocolates: +47%
Lipsticks: +29%
Lingerie: +17%
Handbags: +12%
Wine: +8%
For its part, CRC VoiceShare summarised three aspects of Valentine's gift spending behaviour:
Timeframe: Overall, couples tend to make preparations in a relatively close timeframe.
This aligns with the "Last-Minute Lovers" trend observed globally. Specifically, 30% of survey respondents buy gifts just one day before Valentine's Day, 60% buy one week in advance, 8% buy 1-6 months in advance, and 2% buy more than 6 months in advance.
Budget Planning for Valentine's Gifts: More than 36% plan to spend between 500–1,000 baht on Valentine's gifts, 33% plan to allocate a budget between 1,000–3,000 baht, and 21% have budgeted 3,000 baht or more.
Location: Over 85% prefer to shop for Valentine's gifts at malls due to convenience and the ability to receive products immediately. The remaining 15% opt for online and various e-commerce and social media channels.
Other behavioural insights: More than 30% highly value Valentine's Day. Popular couple activities include dining out, shopping at malls, and gift-giving. 42% prefer Japanese restaurants, 27% choose Thai restaurants, particularly popular among Baby Boomers, and 10% favour Italian restaurants, especially popular among Gen Z.
