Data: Brands scale back Valentine's Day email promotions
Mounting economic pressures are impacting consumers’ plans for Valentine’s Day spending – and brands are scaling back their marketing efforts as a result.
That’s according to new data from e-commerce marketing platform Omnisend, which found that between Jan. 1 and Feb. 11, brands sent 6,395 Valentine’s-related email campaigns in 2025. During the same period in 2026, that number fell to 3,072 – a 52% decrease.
Over the same period, overall email marketing activity surged. Total campaign volume more than doubled year over year, increasing 133% from 72,134 campaigns in early 2025 to 168,128 in 2026. Omnisend says this suggests brands did not reduce marketing overall, but instead deprioritized Valentine’s Day specifically.
A separate Omnisend survey of U.S. consumers conducted in January supports the shift in strategy from brands. The survey found that 23% of consumers have reduced or stopped buying holiday gifts, including Valentine’s Day gifts, over the past 12 months to save money.
At the same time, nearly half of shoppers report spending more online per month than they did a year ago, but the increase appears to be driven by rising costs rather than higher consumption. Thirty-nine percent of those surveyed attribute increased spending to inflation, while 24% cite tariffs and trade policies and 23% point to higher shipping and delivery costs.
“The data shows a clear strategic shift,” said Marty Bauer, e-commerce expert at Omnisend. “Brands are sending significantly more emails overall, but Valentine’s Day has lost prominence in the marketing calendar. Retailers appear to be responding to more cautious consumer spending behavior.”
[READ MORE: Survey: One-third of consumers to limit Valentine's Day spend to $50 or less]
Omnisend noted that rather than leaning into seasonal promotions, brands appear to be focusing on broader, always-on marketing strategies and value-oriented messaging. Cost transparency, free shipping, bundle deals under $50 and early reminders to avoid rush delivery fees are the strategies the firm says will resonate the most with consumers.
“As consumers become more selective, brands that emphasize value, convenience and personalization will be better positioned to capture demand,” said Bauer. “Valentine’s Day hasn’t disappeared – but it’s no longer commanding the same marketing intensity.”
Methodology
Omnisend’s email campaign data is based on aggregated U.S. email sends from Omnisend merchants between Jan. 1 and Feb. 11 in 2025 and 2026. Consumer insights are based on a survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers aged 18+ conducted in January 2026. Results were weighted to be nationally representative by age and gender.
