Love isn’t just in the air—it’s in shopping carts, brand campaigns, and marketing calendars. Once a single-day celebration, Valentine’s Day has expanded into an entire week of gifting, with brands capitalising on everything from Promise Day to Chocolate Day to Rose Day. In a country where festivals already drive consumer spending, Valentine’s Week has become yet another lucrative opportunity for businesses across categories. But how much of this is sentiment, and how much is strategy? “Valentine’s Day season is here again. Sales typically pick up 14 to 16 days before the day and continue for a day after. This period sees a surge in gifting—ranging from small tokens to elaborate presents—along with increased spending on food, flowers, and celebrations,” Harish Bijoor, brand guru and founder, Harish Bijoor Consultancy, told BrandWagon Online.
As per Zomato’s report, this Valentine’s Day, the platform has witnessed a significant early surge in demand for cakes, desserts, and gifting items. Notable trends include a twofold increase in sales of rose-themed or flavoured dishes on Rose Day (February 7th), a 70% rise in deliveries of rose-flavoured beverages, and over 125K chocolate-based dishes sold on Chocolate Day (February 10th). New offerings like chocolate fondue boxes and heart-shaped treats are also showing strong sales. Additionally, special Valentine’s Day gift hampers, featuring curated selections and optional add-ons, are gaining traction, with increased demand across categories beyond desserts, including pizza and Asian cuisine. “This Valentine’s season, we’ve seen a strong preference for classic and thoughtful gifts, with gift hampers, jewellery, soft toys, and perfumes among the most popular choices nationwide. Traditional romantic gestures remain significant, as reflected in the continued demand for chocolates and roses. At the same time, the rise in luxury and self-care gifting points to a shift in consumer behaviour toward more personalised and experiential presents. The ease of quick commerce has also influenced shopping patterns, with many opting for last-minute yet meaningful purchases,” Devendra Meel, chief business officer, Zepto, said.
No doubt Valentine’s Day has turned into a commercial spectacle, where businesses aggressively push themed promotions and surge pricing. “As every year, the buzz is strong. Rose prices spike by 6 to 7 times their usual cost, and businesses across sectors benefit. Retail sees a boost, while quick commerce platforms like Blinkit, Swiggy, and Zomato capitalise on the demand. From florists to food delivery, Valentine’s Day drives significant consumer spending and business activity,” Bijoor highlighted.
In the rich man’s world!
With Valentine’s Day marking one of the most significant gifting seasons of the year, this week has highlighted an interesting shift in consumer behaviour. From an increase in traditional gift categories like flowers and chocolates to a noticeable rise in luxury jewellery purchases, the demand for premium products is seeing an upward trajectory. “This Valentine’s Week has been nothing short of extraordinary for us at FNP. I’ve never seen consumer enthusiasm at this scale. Orders surged by an unprecedented 300%. Roses stole the spotlight, with 15 lakh sold till 13 Feb, including a record-breaking 4 lakh on Rose Day alone. Chocolate Day wasn’t far behind, with over one lakh premium chocolates gifted,” Pawan Gadia, Global CEO, FNP, said.
As the market responds to changing consumer preferences, the jewellery segment, especially diamonds and platinum, has seen growth, reflecting a broader trend of value-driven purchases even amidst fluctuating gold prices. “Love is around the air . There has been a growth of diamond jewellery sales by 10-12 per cent this season with both young generation and Generation X buying. The range that is selling is between 15000 – 1 lakh. The wedding season is also on full swing which certain break due to sudden gold price jump impacting volumes and footfalls for gold but diamond and platinum Jewellery is selling at higher growth than plain fold jewellery due to higher gold price,” Suvankar Sen, MD & CEO, Senco Gold and Diamonds, said.