Retail Occasions Series: UK Valentine's Day 2026

Table of Contents

• KEY FINDINGS
• Summary of Valentine's Day 2026
• The key findings
• Retail penetration slows this Valentine’s Day as consumers prioritise quality time
• Valentine’s Day shoppers increasingly spend on non-romantic relationships
• Tesco and Amazon deliver uneven performance this Valentine’s Day
• Trend insight - stores
• Trend insight - online
• CONSUMER ATTITUDES
• Buying dynamics
• Financial wellbeing
• Valentine's Day spending
• Financing spending
• Who shoppers bought for
• Valentine's Day activities
• Meal choices
• Valentine's Day statements
• Retailer selection
• Retailer ratings - grocers
• Retailer ratings - non-food retailers
• Retailer drivers by category
• Secondhand Valentine's Day items
• FOOD & DRINK
• Buying dynamics
• Retailer selection
• Channel usage
• Store type
• Device usage
• Fulfilment
• Spending
• Buying dynamics
• GIFTING
• Buying dynamics
• Retailer selection
• Channel usage
• Store type
• Device usage
• Fulfilment
• Spending
• Buying dynamics
• Planned/Impulse Purchases
• Personalisation
• CARDS & GIFT WRAP
• Buying dynamics
• Retailer selection
• Channel usage
• Store type
• Device usage
• Fulfilment
• Spending
• Buying dynamics
• Planned/Impulse Purchases
• Personalisation
• METHODOLOGY
• Technical details: Consumer survey work
• Technical details: Definitions

• Retailer ratings across key measures - grocers, 2026
• Retailer ratings across key measures - non-food retailers, 2026
• Products purchased secondhand by Valentine's Day secondhand shoppers, 2026
• Percentage point change - top 10 retailers shopped at for Valentine's Day food & drink, 2025 to 2026
• Percentage point change - top 10 retailers most shopped at for Valentine's Day food & drink, 2025 to 2026
• Percentage point change - top 10 retailers consumers switched to for Valentine's Day food & drink, 2025 to 2026
• Items purchased, sweet Items, 2025 & 2026
• Items purchased, meat & meat-free alternatives, 2025 & 2026
• Items purchased, alcoholic beverages, 2025 & 2026
• Items purchased, fruit & vegetables, 2025 & 2026
• Items purchased, breakfast foods, 2025 & 2026
• Items purchased, frozen foods, 2025 & 2026
• Items purchased, ready meals, 2025 & 2026
• Items purchased, non-alcoholic drinks, 2025 & 2026
• Items purchased, fish, 2025 & 2026
• Items purchased, delicatessen Items, 2025 & 2026
• Categories bought on impulse by food & drink shoppers, 2025 & 2026
• Percentage point change - top 10 retailers shopped at for Valentine's Day gifts, 2025 to 2026
• Items purchased, food & drink gifts, 2025 & 2026
• Retailers used, food & drink gifts, 2025 & 2026
• Items purchased, flowers & plants, 2025 & 2026
• Retailers used, flowers & plants, 2025 & 2026
• Items purchased, fine jewellery & watches, 2025 & 2026
• Retailers used, fine jewellery & watches, 2025 & 2026
• Items purchased, clothing, 2025 & 2026
• Retailers used, clothing, 2025 & 2026
• Items purchased, accessories & footwear, 2025 & 2026
• Retailers used, accessories & footwear, 2025 & 2026
• Items purchased, health & beauty, 2025 & 2026
• Retailers used, health & beauty, 2025 & 2026
• Items purchased, soft toys, 2025 & 2026
• Retailers used, soft toys, 2025 & 2026
• Items purchased, experiences, 2025 & 2026
• Items purchased, homewares, 2025 & 2026
• Retailers used, homewares, 2025 & 2026
• Items purchased, entertainment, 2025 & 2026
• Retailers used, entertainment, 2025 & 2026
• Items purchased, stationery, 2025 & 2026
• Retailers used, stationery, 2025 & 2026
• Items purchased, vouchers & money, 2025 & 2026
• Items purchased, electricals, 2025 & 2026
• Retailers used, electricals, 2025 & 2026
• Items purchased, books, 2025 & 2026
• Retailers used, books, 2025 & 2026
• Items purchased, sports, 2025 & 2026
• Retailers used, sports, 2025 & 2026
• Gift categories bought on impulse, 2025 & 2026
• Gift categories personalised, 2025 & 2026
• Average spend on cards & gift wrap, 2025 & 2026
• Percentage point change - top 10 retailers shopped at for Valentine's Day cards & gift wrap, 2025 to 2026
• Items purchased, cards, 2025 & 2026
• Retailers used, cards, 2025 & 2026
• Items purchased, gift wrap, 2025 & 2026
• Retailers used, gift wrap, 2025 & 2026
• Cards & gift wrap categories bought on impulse, 2025 & 2026

• Valentine’s Day shopper penetration (2020-2026)
• Top 5 Valentine’s Day item recipients (2026)
• Most popular dining in choices (2026)
• Highest rated retailers (2026)
• Most purchased Valentine's Day gifting categories (2026)
• Top 5 retailers shopped at for cards & gift wrap (2026)
• Valentine’s Day participation penetration, total (2024, 2025 & 2026) and by demographic & region (2026)
• Valentine’s Day shopper penetration, total (2024, 2025 & 2026) and by demographic & region (2026)
• Valentine’s Day shopper profile, 2026
• Valentine’s Day retail penetration, total (2024, 2025 & 2026) and by demographic & region (2026)
• Valentine’s Day leisure penetration, total (2024, 2025 & 2026) and by demographic & region (2026)
• Financial wellbeing compared to last year, 2025 & 2026
• Valentine's Day spending compared to last year, 2025 & 2026
• How consumers financed Valentine's Day spending, 2025 & 2026
• How consumers split Valentine's Day spending between retail & leisure, 2026 & ppt change on 2025
• Who consumers spent money on for Valentine's Day, 2025 & 2026
• Valentine's Day activities undertaken, 2026 & ppt change on 2025
• Valentine’s Day dining out meal choices, 2025 & 2026
• Valentine’s Day takeaway cuisines, 2025 & 2026
• Valentine’s Day dining in choices, 2025 & 2026
• Agreement and disagreement with statements about Valentine’s Day 2026, and change on 2025
• Which retailer did the best job of promoting or communicating deals for Valentine’s Day 2026, and change on 2025
• What’s driving retailer selection - summary, 2026
• Valentine's Day secondhand purchase penetration, total and by demographic & region, 2026
• Reasons for shopping secondhand, 2026
• Reasons for not shopping secondhand, 2026
• Food & drink overall penetration, total (2024, 2025 & 2026) and by demographic & region (2026)
• Retailers shopped at for food & drink, 2025 & 2026
• Retailers most shopped at for food & drink, 2025 & 2026
• What’s driving food & drink retailer selection 2026, and ppt change on 2025
• Consumers switching from their usual main food & drink retailer, total (2024, 2025 & 2026) and by demographic (2026)
• Retailers consumers switched to, 2025 & 2026
• Consumers using each channel for food & drink, 2025 & 2026
• Consumers using each physical store type for food & drink, 2025 & 2026
• Consumers using each device for food & drink purchases, 2025 & 2026
• Consumers using each fulfilment option for food & drink, 2025 & 2026
• Valentine’s Day food & drink average spend by retailer 2026, and value change on 2025
• Sweet products penetration, total (2024, 2025 & 2026) and by demographic (2026)
• Meat & meat-free alternatives penetration, total (2024, 2025 & 2026) and by demographic (2026)
• Alcoholic beverages penetration, total (2024, 2025 & 2026) and by demographic (2026)
• Fruit & vegetables penetration, total (2024, 2025 & 2026) and by demographic (2026)
• Breakfast foods penetration, total (2024, 2025 & 2026) and by demographic (2026)
• Frozen foods penetration, total (2025 & 2026) and by demograohic (2026)
• Ready meals penetration, total (2024, 2025 & 2026) and by demographic (2026)
• Non-alcoholic drinks penetration, total (2024, 2025 & 2026) and by demographic (2026)
• Fish penetration, total (2024, 2025 & 2026) and by demographic (2026)
• Delicatessen products penetration, total (2024, 2025 & 2026) and by demographic (2026)
• Planned/impulse purchases, food & drink, 2026
• Gifting overall penetration, total (2024, 2025 & 2026) and by demographic (2026)
• Retailers shopped at for gifts, 2025 & 2026
• What’s driving gifts retailer selection 2026, and ppt change on 2025
• Consumers using each channel for gifts, 2025 & 2026
• Consumers using each physical store type for gifts, 2025 & 2026
• Consumers using each device for gifts purchases, 2025 & 2026
• Consumers using each fulfilment option for gifts, 2025 & 2026
• Valentine's Day gifts average spend 2026, and value change on 2025
• Food & drink gifts penetration, total (2024, 2025 & 2026) and by demographic (2026)
• Flowers & plants penetration, total (2024, 2025 & 2026) and by demographic (2026)
• Fine jewellery & watches penetration, total (2024, 2025 & 2026) and by demographic (2026)
• Clothing penetration, total (2024, 2025 & 2026) and by demographic (2026)
• Accessories & footwear penetration, total (2024, 2025 & 2026) and by demographic (2026)
• Health & beauty penetration, total (2024, 2025 & 2026) and by demographic (2026)
• Soft toys penetration, 2026 (by demographic) and 2024 & 2025 penetration
• Experience gifts penetration, total (2024, 2025 & 2026) and by demographic (2026)
• Homewares penetration, total (2024, 2025 & 2026) and by demographic (2026)
• Entertainment penetration, total (2024, 2025 & 2026) and by demographic (2026)
• Stationery penetration, total (2024, 2025 & 2026) and by demographic (2026)
• Vouchers & money penetration, total (2024, 2025 & 2026) and by demographic (2026)
• Electricals penetration, total (2024, 2025 & 2026) and by demographic (2026)
• Books penetration, total (2024, 2025 & 2026) and by demographic (2026)
• Sports penetration, total (2024, 2025 & 2026) and by demographic (2026)
• Planned/impulse gift purchases, 2026
• Personalised gift purchases, 2026
• Cards & gift wrap penetration, total (2024, 2025 & 2026) and by demographic (2026)
• Retailers shopped at for cards & gift wrap, 2025 & 2026
• What's driving cards and gift wrap retailer selection 2026, and ppt change on 2025
• Consumers using each channel for cards & gift wrap, 2025 & 2026
• Consumers using each physical store type for cards & gift wrap, 2025 & 2026
• Consumers using each device for cards & gift wrap purchases, 2025 & 2026
• Consumers using each fulfilment option for cards & gift wrap, 2025 & 2026
• Cards penetration, total (2024, 2025 & 2026) and by demographic (2026)
• Gift wrap penetration, total (2024, 2025 & 2026) and by demographic (2026)
• Planned/impulse cards & gift wrap purchases, 2026
• Personalised cards purchases, 2026
• Was the ability to personalise the card an important factor in choosing which retailer to purchase from? (2026)

• Aldi
• Amazon
• Apple/iTunes
• Argos
• ASDA
• ASOS
• B&M
• Boots
• Card Factory
• Clintons
• Co-op
• Dunelm
• Footlocker
• Foyles
• GAME
• Goldsmiths
• H&M
• H. Samuel
• HMV
• Home Bargains
• House of Fraser
• Interflora
• JD Sports
• John Lewis & Partners
• Lidl
• Littlewoods
• Lush
• Marks & Spencer
• Matalan
• Michael Kors
• Moonpig
• Morrisons
• Next
• Nike
• Pandora
• Poundland
• Primark
• Puma
• Sainsbury's
• Sephora
• Shein
• Smyths Toys
• Sports Direct
• Superdrug
• Temu
• Tesco
• TG Jones
• The Fragrance Shop
• The Range
• The Works
• Tiffany & Co
• TK Maxx
• Victoria’s Secret
• Waitrose & Partners
• Waterstones
• WH Smith
• Wordery
• Zara
• Zavvi