Report: Valentine’s Day sales fall in advance, rise on holiday

San Jose, Calif. – Sales for Valentine’s Day this year fell prior to the holiday compared to the same period in 2013, but rose on the actual holiday itself, Feb. 14. According to new figures from site analytics provider RetailNext, men’s stores (that have gifts for men) saw decreased (-13.8%) sales the day before Valentine’s, but an increase of +22.2% in sales on Valentine's Day itself in 2014.



Meanwhile, women's stores (that have gifts for women) saw decreased (-13.5%) sales the day before Valentine’s, but an increase of +15.2% in sales on Valentine's Day itself in 2014. For all retailers examined, the three days before Valentine’s Day saw a -7.4% decrease in sales and -6.7% decline in traffic on average when compared to Feb. 11-13 in 2013.



RetailNext analysis indicates that Valentine’s Day falling on a Friday in 2014, as compared to a Thursday in 2013, made it easier for more people to shop that day.