| 2004-04-19 |
Increase in Online Valentines Day Gift Purchases |
According to a comScore Networks analysis
of consumer behavior related to Valentine’s Day,
online spending
in the Flowers & Gifts,
Jewelry & Watches and Health & Beauty categories
leapt 49 percent in the ten days ending February 11,
2004 versus the corresponding period in 2003. comScore
also reported the results of survey of U.S. consumers’ preferences,
attitudes and intentions related to the holiday.</p>
<p><strong>Americans Looking for Romance Offline Find Gifts Online</strong><br>
A
late-breaking analysis of consumer spending in key
Valentine’s Day gift categories reveals spending
is up an impressive 49 percent versus 2003. While the
Flowers & Gifts category is likely to peak in the
last two days prior to Valentine’s Day, sales
in the ten days ending February 11 had already totaled
$91 million, up an impressive 56 percent versus 2002.
Jewelry & Watches, which posted strong growth rates
throughout much of 2003, saw growth of more than 62
percent during this year’s pre-Valentine’s
Day period.</p>
<p>“Last year, the three weeks ending on Valentine’s
Day accounted for a full 12 percent of the year’s
online spending in the Flowers & Gifts category
-- a seasonal peak that’s expected and pronounced
across channels,” said Dan Hess, senior vice
president of comScore Networks. “This year’s
growth rates are an encouraging sign for retailers
in ‘gifting’ categories thus far, and consumers
will continue to buy some products – such as
flowers – virtually until the last minute.”</p>
<p><strong>Men and Women Agree that
Valentine’s Day is Overrated<br>
</strong>A comScore
survey of American consumers conducted between February
10 and February 12, 2004 revealed
that fully 50 percent of male respondents believe Valentine’s
Day gets too much attention. While female respondents
were more likely to report that Valentine’s Day
gets the right amount of attention, 41 percent agreed
that there’s too much hype surrounding Valentine’s
Day.</p>
<p><strong>Best Valentines Day Gifts</strong><br>
When asked to select the top three gifts they would
like to receive for Valentine’s Day, 47 percent
of females chose flowers, making it the favorite gift
among women. Those with more generous budgets, be advised:
the second and third ranked gifts among women were
jewelry and spa treatments. Among male respondents,
music was the top ranked gift. Always the romantics,
24 percent of male respondents chose consumer electronics
as a preferred Valentine’s Day gift. </p>
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