What Are You Doing for ‘Galentine’s Day’?

Millennials plan to outspend older American on Valentine’s Day

Published in
CSP Daily News

CINCINNATI – More than half of Millennial men (58%) and 28% of Millennial women
plan to spend more than $100 on Valentine’s Day, according to a new national survey by customer science company dunnhumby, Cincinnati.

Millennials are shedding their frugal image and are planning to spare no expense on Valentine’s Day, while older and more established Americans are planning a more modest Valentine’s Day–or none at all.

Millennial men intend to make their Valentine’s Day spending count: 40% plan to buy jewelry for their partner, while Millennial women are choosing to spend on sweets, as half (51%)
intend to buy chocolate for Valentine’s Day. Older Americans, however, are planning to spend less this season: while half (55%) of Americans age 35 to 44 plan on spending more than $100 on Valentine’s Day gifts, that number drops off as Americans age: only 27% of those 45 and over plan to splurge.

Relationship length is also a factor during the holiday–21% of respondents who have been in a relationship for 16 years or more announced their gift giving during the holiday would consist of “nothing.” Couples still getting to know each other–with a relationship timeframe of one to five years–were the most likely to buy an experience for a Valentine’s Day, choosing an adventure like kayaking or a cooking class. On the older end of the spectrum, couples who have been together six to 10 years were most likely to buy lingerie, perhaps feeling the seven-year-itch: almost one out of every four respondents (24%) in this relationship range said lingerie was on their Valentine’s Day shopping list.

Despite Millennials’ profligacy when it comes Feb. 14, traditional gifts still reign supreme among Americans: greeting cards (41%), chocolates (39%) and flowers (31%) proved the most popular Valentine’s Day gifts. In addition, Americans are surprisingly punctual when selecting gifts for their loved ones: 29% shop two to three weeks before the holiday, and 31% shop one week before.

Booking that romantic table for two on Valentine’s Day will prove to be a challenge this year, as 52% of Americans plan to dine out to celebrate. For those not going out on the town, 30% opted to cook dinner at home, and 91% said they would plan to shop at their local grocery store for their dinner ingredients.

Additional key findings of dunnhumby’s Valentine’s Day survey include:

• “Galentine’s Day” and the male equivalent (Malentine’s Day?) have caught on among young consumers–15% of men and 11% of women aged 18 to 24 plan to celebrate the holiday with close friends. (The custom was popularized on NBC’s
  Parks and Recreation.)
• The reliable department store was the most popular place to buy gifts (46%), followed by the mall (25%) and online (25%), while 20% plan to buy their gifts at a drug store and 13% plan to buy their gifts at a dollar store.

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The perfect lingerie guide to Valentine’s Day

THIS weekend is supposed to be the most romantic of the year and whereas the majority of loved-up ladies will have planned their Valentine’s gifts well in advance, their male counterparts tend to be less organised.

Of course, there are those rare gentlemen who are blessed with natural romantic inspiration, but most still leave their present-buying until the last moment or agonise over whether they have chosen correctly.

The three classics for Valentine’s Day have remained pretty consistent over the years; flowers, chocolates and lingerie.

The first two are pretty easy to get right, red roses are usually a no-brainer and very few females will complain about a box of chocolate truffles, but buying underwear for a lady is actually a very tricky business.

Many women will have horror stories that involve their partner buying a pair of knickers three sizes too small or an underwear set they are repulsed by.

I went to Boudoir Pink, a lingerie and swimwear boutique in Ulverston, to ask underwear expert Catherine Hodder what her top tips for Valentine’s shopping are.

She said: ”It is an incredibly delicate gift to pick out because it’s so easy to get wrong. I think the most important thing is to remember is that less can sometimes be more.

“What I mean by this is that men usually go straight for the red lace, but lingerie doesn’t have to be so in your face to be sexy and feminine and many ladies prefer to receive classier underwear.”

For Mrs Hodder, lingerie has been a lifelong passion and she feels that choosing the right set for your partner can show them just how much you have been paying attention to them, and that you have noticed their likes and dislikes.

She said: ”Underwear can be something very personal and special. The first Valentine’s Day I had with my husband he bought me the most beautiful, hand-embroidered lace body-suit from La Perla in London. It made me realise that he knew me even better than I knew myself and that’s when I decided that we would get married.”

So what exactly do you look for when selecting lingerie for your partner? It’s actually easier than you think, bear these three things in mind:

1. Know her shape. If she is very curvy, then you may need to go for something flattering or slimming. If she is very slim, then go for something frilly or with ribbons and detail to create the illusion of more curves. If you know her body shape, then the staff in lingerie stores will be able to help you much more easily.

2. Know her taste. Think about the lingerie she seems to like wearing most and use that as a starting point. If you have never seen her in fishnet stockings, this probably isn’t the time to start buying them. Sorry.

3. Know her cup size and brief size. This seems like an obvious one but make sure you find out before you make the trip to town.

Mrs Hodder said: ”The best way to go about checking her size is just to go through her drawers. Find a bra that you know fits well and that she wears a lot and check that.

“Sometimes it means a lot more to steer clear of the Valentine’s clichés. I really wouldn’t like to receive a bunch of red roses and a red and black corset. Something like a silk chemise is so simple, classic and can be really beautifully made. As for flowers, my favourites are Pompeii Lilies and I find it much more personal to get a bouquet of something different to roses.”

So when shopping for Valentine’s day this year, don’t forget to be prepared and to think a little more about what might suit your partner and surprise her with a present with a little more thought. Lingerie is always a great present because women do not often think to spend so much money on themselves. Getting some nice fancy knickers can be a real treat, pair with her favourite flowers a bottle of pink champagne or prosecco and you will have the perfect Valentine’s combination.

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