Print Friendly and PDF
Watch out for ‘sweetheart swindles’ if you’re looking for love on Valentine’s Day
Finding cheaper printer cartridges is this week’s best consumer experience, while a credit union error disappoints

What do women want for Valentine’s Day?

By Rita R. Robison

This year, the Consumer Electronics Association is saying women want electronics for Valentine’s Day. However, a blog article I read said that said women don’t want electronics – that men buy them for their female loved one because they’ve been nagging them to learn the device and “gifting” the item will get them to use it.

ChocolateToday, RetailMeNot.com, a coupon site, sent me information on its Valentine’s Day Survey, which found that men don’t seem to be in tune with the wants and desires of their significant other this holiday. The greatest disconnect being men who plan to purchase their partner either candy or a romantic night out on the town. 

The survey showed that 33 percent of men intended to buy their significant other candy, with only 20 percent of women actually wanting this for Valentine’s Day – a 13-point gap. A similar disparity existed for men planning to take their partner out for a romantic night on the town, such as dinner and a movie – 38 percent of men said that they would do it this year, with only 25 percent of women wanting a night out. 

While men are overcompensating with gifts of candy and dinner reservations, they are falling short in terms of buying jewelry. The survey shows 21 percent of women preferred gifts of jewelry, while only 16 percent of male respondents said they intended to purchase jewelry for Valentine’s Day.

On flowers, 32 percent of men intended to purchase flowers for Valentine’s Day for their significant other, while 27 percent of women want flowers.

For cards, 38 percent of men said they intend to buy a Valentine’s Day card, and 36 percent of women said they wanted a card for the holiday.

Not unexpectedly, 12 percent of respondents to the survey reported that they “do not have a significant other” for Valentine’s Day.

I think a discussion about what you want to do and receive on Valentine’s Day makes sense, especially in these tight money times. See my article, “What Does Valentine’s Day Mean to You?” for suggestions on thinking through your Valentine’s Day spending if you’re having financial problems.

The sluggish economy is still a factor in consumer’s gift-giving plans, according to the RetailMeNot survey. Nearly a fourth of consumers said that they don’t intend to spend any money this Valentine’s Day on their significant other, and more than 50 percent intend to spend $100 or less.

Copyright 2012, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Comments

Feed You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

sports gift

What women really like during valentines day is to feel special...to be treated more special on that day, to feel more love from the the man they love.

Verify your Comment

Previewing your Comment

This is only a preview. Your comment has not yet been posted.

Working...
Your comment could not be posted. Error type:
Your comment has been posted. Post another comment

The letters and numbers you entered did not match the image. Please try again.

As a final step before posting your comment, enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below. This prevents automated programs from posting comments.

Having trouble reading this image? View an alternate.

Working...

Post a comment

Your Information

(Name and email address are required. Email address will not be displayed with the comment.)