United Kingdom (UK) Valentine's Day 2021

United Kingdom (UK) Valentine's Day 2021

Summary

United Kingdom (UK) Valentine's Day 2021 report forms part of GlobalData's Retail Occasions series, and offers a comprehensive insight into the consumer dynamics and spending habits of consumers for Valentine's Day. The report analyses the market, the major players, the main trends, and consumer attitudes.

While Valentine’s Day was one of the few occasions not to be impacted by the pandemic last year, in 2021 it occurred during England’s third national lockdown, driving overall penetration to decline, as non-essential retailers were faced with enforced store closures. Since COVID-19 restrictions also meant that many consumers were unable to see their loved ones in person this year, they will have decided to forgo their Valentine’s Day purchases as a result, impacting retailers’ sales.

ScopeFood & drink experienced a marginal decline in penetration for Valentine’s Day this year, falling by 0.8ppts, likely due to an increased proportion of consumers buying takeaways as a result of the COVID-19 restrictions. However, premium food & drink retailers performed the best, particularly Marks & Spencer, which saw 42.2% of shoppers switch from their usual grocer to buy Valentine’s Day food & drink from it.Although the overall proportion of consuminers buying cards fell to 59.9% this Valentine’s Day, digital cards grew by 2.6ppts to 3.4%, as they proved to be an attractive option for those celebrating the holiday apart due to the pandemic’s travel restrictions. With all non-essential shops shut across the UK this Valentine’s Day, 60.0% of shoppers purchased gifts from supermarkets, with Tesco and ASDA taking the lead as choice retailers.Reasons to BuyUnderstand how consumers attitudes and shopping behaviours changed as a result of the pandemic when shopping for Valentine's Day.Understand what drives consumers to use a retailer for their purchases, such as convenience, value for money and delivery options in order to maximise sales potential.Use our in-depth analysis of the leading retailers for Valentine's Day in order to understand how to appeal to shoppers and increase market share.