Research reveals Brits’ planned spend this Valentine’s day

On the 14th February, romantics everywhere join together to celebrate Valentine’s Day – exchanging gifts, flowers and chocolates as an expression of their love and appreciation. However, none of this would be possible without the dedicated workforce of the logistics industry which ensures that roses and chocolates are delivered to shops and supermarkets all around the country, and that Valentine’s Day arrives on the doorsteps of the nation.

As part of our initiative to plug the skills gap and future proof the workforce within the logistics sector, we’ve conducted brand new research that reveals both what the nation will be spending, and how they’ll be spending it. 

So, what is the cost of love?

The story and statistics behind the nation’s Valentine’s Day buys are more surprising than you might think. The research, which assessed the ways in which the UK will be buying presents for February 14, reveals the variations between gender, age and location of those expressing their love through romantic gestures.

Is gift-giving the UK’s love language?

Our research has revealed that the country’s love of gift-giving isn’t set to fade, as four out of five of us will be spoiling their partners this Valentine’s Day (81%) with something special, and a sixth of all those hopeless romantics plan on spending over £50 (17%).

We’ve also discovered that the most romantic generation is those aged 25-34, marking them as the most likely age group to celebrate St Valentine’s Day and buy gifts (92%), while the 65s and over were the least likely to mark the occasion, as they are the most likely to opt out (42%) of making any grand gestures.

When it comes to the most generous of the generations, it is the 25 – 34 year olds who are also the most likely to spend over £100 on their partners.

However, it’s not all chocolates and roses for everyone, as almost a fifth of Brits won’t be buying anything for their partners this year (19%).

Online shopping: The perfect partner

As logistics workers around the country transform into the nation’s real-life Cupids, delivering flowers and chocolates to doors all across the country, Brits will either be running to the shops or ordering online. After a surge in popularity during the pandemic, online shopping will play host to the nation’s romantic purchasing, according to the research. Data shows that three quarters of the population will be buying their gifts online (75%), and all that gifting will need efficient fulfilment and deliveries to ensure the chosen items arrive on the right doorsteps on 14 February.

Our research reveals that women were the most likely to purchase online, with 46% of all women choosing to buy everything through the internet. Men, on the other hand, will be making a more traditional last minute flock to the shops, with only 34% set to avoid the high street completely. 

Battle Of The Chromosomes

Research showed that men are most likely to buy gifts for Valentine’s Day compared with women – over 86% of them say they will buy something for their partner. Maybe British men are more romantic than they would have us believe?

However, both men and women are seeing eye-to-eye when it comes to spending, with a budget of £10 – £20 being the most popular choice. However, men are the most likely to splash the cash, with nearly one in ten of them intending to purchase a gift with a value of over £100 (9%).

The Cities Of Love

The Generation Logistics research has revealed the top five most romantic cities in the UK, based on those with the most people who will be spoiling their loved ones this Valentine’s Day: Manchester (89%) London (88%) Glasgow (87%)Bristol (86%)Belfast (81%)

Not all cities are full of romantics, as over one third of Sheffield will not be celebrating the day with their partners. Maybe those missing out on romance should move over the Pennines to Manchester?

When it comes to falling in love with online shopping, it’s the consumers in the capitals who are the most smitten, with two third of those in Edinburgh (67%), and nearly half of those in London (44%), set to buy everything online. Elsewhere, the trend continues. In Bristol, 40% of buyers, and in Nottingham, over one third (37%), will be making all  their purchases online. 

Break Up or Make Up

Overall, we can confirm that despite concern around the cost of living, struggling economy and increasing energy bills, love is still very much in the air as the romantics among us will continue to spoil their other halves this Valentine’s Day. 

What this also means is that the logistics workforce  across the country is set to have a very busy year this Valentine’s Day, as the demand for online orders dominates.

With the increased demand also comes a need for a helping hand for Cupid, who simply can’t fly fast enough to deliver the nation’s gifts. For those interested in bringing romance to customers next year, a career within logistics is calling, with roles spanning HR and Sales, to Marketing, Engineering and everything in between. You can find out more about the available career opportunities by taking our Find Your Future Quiz to discover which role is best suited to you.