For Valentine’s Day, consumer habits held steady in 2019. That’s one takeaway from a national survey commissioned by the Society of American Florists and conducted by the market research firm Ipsos immediately after Valentine’s Day. Compared to previous years, the survey found a consistent number of consumers buying Valentine’s Day flowers in 2019 — and similar preferences in flower and venue selection, along with demographics of holiday flower buyers.
According to the survey, 28 percent of adults in the U.S. purchased fresh flowers or plants as gifts for Valentine’s Day. That figure is in line with the past two years (28 percent in 2018 and 29 percent in 2017) and marks a slight uptick from earlier in the decade (24 percent in 2015, 23 percent in 2014 and 25 percent in 2013). The Society of American Florists also surveyed its members on holiday returns; look for results from that survey in next week’s E-Brief.
The majority of floral purchases (55 percent) were made at supermarkets, matching last year’s results and up from 2017 (46 percent). On the grocers’ heels were retail florists, who supplied 35 percent of Valentine’s customers — the same percentage as last year and similar to 2017 (36 percent) — followed by followed by mass merchandisers (18 percent), national Internet floral services (15 percent), national toll-free floral services (7 percent), street vendors (5 percent) and convenience stores (5 percent).
Gift selection reflected a long-standing trend. Overall, 84 percent of Valentine customers chose roses (the same figure as last year), predominantly red (69 percent), followed by white (38 percent), pink (37 percent), yellow (29 percent), peach (28 percent), lavender (26 percent) and orange (20 percent). Approximately three in 10 (31 percent) bought a mix of colored roses. Forty-five percent of customers bought an arrangement of mixed flowers and 29 percent bought a plant.
The median amount spent on flowers or plants for Valentine’s Day 2019 was $40, the same figure as in 2018 and 2017. The average amount spent, however, has increased each year since 2015 (from $51.80 to $58.70 to $69.40 to $70.20).
More than half of Valentine’s Day consumers (52 percent) bought flowers for their spouse. Nearly a quarter gave flowers to their significant others (24 percent) and mothers (23 percent). Other recipients included children (15 percent) and friends (12 percent). Nine percent of buyers purchased flowers for themselves.
Katie Hendrick Vincent is the senior contributing editor for the Society of American Florists.
