Canadians hand over Valentine’s gifts as clichéd as Cupid

They say it’s the thought that counts on Valentine’s Day – and Canadians seem to share a hive mind when it comes to the romantic occasion.

A Wednesday report by BMO Economics finds the gift-giving cliches of Cupid’s big day continue to run deep, with jewelry, fragrances, cosmetics, flowers and candy all surging in February. The month-over-month gains, which average between 15 and 28 per cent, are especially noteworthy in light of a retail environment that otherwise flounders at this time.

“The fact that we saw such strong job growth at the tail end of 2012, and that consumer confidence increased in January for the first time in months, bodes well for Valentine sales,” said Jennifer Lee, senior economist with BMO Capital Markets.

A survey for Walmart Canada indicates that the average Valentine’s spend this year will top $170, with cards and candy being the most-purchased items. Heather Evans, an expert on the holiday, describes shoppers as trained creatures of habit.

“All of it originates with a push by those industries, as early as the 19th century, to sell products,” said Evans, a professor of English at Queen’s University. “It was a haphazard development, in some ways, as there’s nothing inherent in chocolate or flowers to associate them specifically with this day.”

The Retail Council of Canada reports that just 22 per cent of Valentine spending will occur outside the stereotypical romance categories. This is consistent with BMO’s analysis, wherein retail’s average seasonal drop of 4.4 per cent in February is in sharp contrast with spikes in Valentine staples.

For the past 16 Februaries, jewelry and watch sales experienced an average increase over January of 28 per cent, while cosmetics and fragrances have soared by 20 per cent. Candy, in recent years, has similarly enjoyed a Valentine’s nudge of 15 per cent, as has the floral category (UPS, for instance, reported that an estimated 95 million flowers would move through its logistics network in the weeks leading up to Feb. 14).

“There’s a certain comfort in falling back on familiar patterns,” said Evans. “As much as we’re media savvy and all want to think we’re individuals, we’re still like little sheep, eager to be part of the general collective.”

It’s a reasonable explanation for a retail phenomenon that defies reason.

Chocolate, for instance, has long enjoyed a reputation as an aphrodisiac. And while that image isn’t unfounded, Cynthia Kuhn — a professor at Duke University’s school of medicine — says “it would take about 50 chocolate bars to cause a behavioural arousal, and your romantic partner might regret the experiment.”

As for lingerie — the gift that’s made many a woman cling to hope that love is blind — it may not be as favoured for Valentine’s as previously thought. The Retail Council of Canada anticipates that lingerie will account for a scant six per cent of Valentine’s spending among consumers with kids, and just three per cent for those without children.

This dovetails with an analysis by NPD Group that shows the only sector of intimates that saw a first-quarter boost in 2012 was plussized undergarments (up 20 per cent in sales). And even so, this was likely due to self-purchases.

“Because lots of new styles come out at the beginning of the year, particularly around Valentine’s Day, plus-size shoppers are eager to scoop these items up while the selection is at its most robust,” said Tracey Jarosz, NPD’s executive director for Canada Fashion. “Regular sizes are more readily available, therefore the consumers who wear them don’t feel the same sense of urgency when new stock hits the shelves.”