Retailers are expected to experience a major sales boost on Valentine’s Day (14 February), with spending predicted to rise by 12% to £1.6bn according to research from shopper marketing agency Savvy.

The data, which was gathered from across 1,000 UK shoppers, found that 42% of consumers plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year and all retail categories are set to grow, with the strongest performances coming from non-alcoholic drinks, beauty products, clothing and flowers.

Roughly two-thirds (68%) of shoppers are willing to purchase premium food or drink options for the day, while 66% are willing to spend more to make the day feel special.

However, consumer caution remains present, with 68% of shoppers actively seeking discounts or offers on food and drink in the period leading to 14 February.

The Valentine’s Day is the first to be shaped by the new High Fat, Sugar, and Salt (HFSS) regulations, which will introduce a 9pm TV watershed for less healthy food products.

Alastair Lockhart, insight director at Savvy, said: “Chocolate is a major Valentine’s category, so this represents the first major test of the new rules.

“Brands have quickly adapted by leveraging distinctive brand assets, such as colours, logos and broader cues, without directly featuring restricted products, and this approach appears to be working well, with our research finding that very few shoppers notice any change.”

Most respondents will have an at-home event, with more than three-quarters (77%) planning to stay in with their partners and almost half (49%) seeking out the Valentine’s Day meal deal.

The data also revealed that almost two-thirds (65%) of shoppers prefer purchasing gifts from smaller or local retailers, and 61% plan to buy sustainable gifts where possible.

This year digital influence continues to be on the rise, with almost half (48%) of consumers likely to buy a product they see on social media and 41% expecting to use AI tools to help choose gifts.

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