Hallmark holiday or genuine celebration of love? Valentine's Day is once again upon us. Around the world, some will celebrate with their soulmate, while others will undoubtedly choose not to take part in the kitschy holiday, heavily decried as too commercial.
Recent data from the National Retail Federation estimates that Americans who celebrate Valentine's Day will spend on average $200 per person, for a total of over $29 billion in the country. In terms of gifts, the most popular this year were candy, cited by 56 percent of respondents, followed by greeting cards and flowers (both 41 percent). Just under four in ten (39 percent) said they would spend money on an evening out, while one in four were planning on purchasing jewellery.
Outside of significant others, 58 percent of respondents this year plan on purchasing gifts for family members, for an expected total of $4.5 billion, while 35 percent will be purchasing gifts for their pets, totaling $2.1 billion up from $1.7 billion last year.
