Jerry Ayala, owner of The Flower Cottage on First Street in downtown Morgan Hill, said the top selling items in his store for Valentine’s Day, by far, are long-stem roses, teddy bears and chocolate.
It’s clear that Ayala has learned this pattern from owning the store for the last 10 years, as most of the shop’s display area was devoted to such products on Feb. 6—just over a week before Valentine’s Day, which is on Feb. 14.
According to the National Retail Federation, consumers nationwide are planning to spend about $25.8 billion—or an average of $185.81 per person—this Valentine’s Day. Spending on gifts for significant others is projected to top $14.2 billion—which is up from $13.5 billion for Valentine’s Day 2023, according to the NRF.
Specifically this year, consumers are expected to spend about $6.4 billion on jewelry, $4.9 billion on “an evening out,” $3 billion on clothing and $2.6 billion on flowers, says the NRF, whose data is based on recent surveys.
