Romance Isn’t Dead! Brits Sets to Splash Out On Romantic Gifts and Meals for Valentine’s Day

LONDON, 13th February 2019 : Romance isn’t dead for Brits, with Worldpay data finding that Valentine’s Day spending has grown 13%¹ since 2017. If 2018 is any indication, this year Brits will splash out around 20% more on romantic meals, and 15% more on beauty gifts for loved ones.

Since 2017, greetings card sales have increased by almost 20%, with UK shoppers set to spend over £8m on cards in the week leading up to the 14th. Flowers remain the preferred way to say ‘I love you’ with Brits spending an average of £50.56 at online florists.

A good old-fashioned trip to the cinema may also be popular with romancers this year. On Valentine’s Day, cinemas can expect to see almost double the amount of custom with a 94% increase in bookings last year. Restaurants can also look forward to an uplift, seeing a 33% increase in dining out spend last year.

Steve Newton, Executive Vice President, UK and Europe at Worldpay said:“In today’s digital world, it’s nice to see that old-fashioned romance isn’t dead. In fact, our analysis has shown the opposite: over the past two years Valentine’s Day has become increasingly popular for Brits, with cards, flowers and confectionary sales all booming in the lead up to the 14th. Businesses need to be prepared for a potential uplift in sales, and consider how to maximize the impact of this special day. Valentine’s Day may be the one day set aside for romance, but for a business, it could be a way to begin a special relationship with new customers.”

Notes to editors:
About the data
All figures quoted taken from analysis of card transactions processed by Worldpay in the UK between 01/02/2017 – 17/02/2017 and 01/02/2018 – 17/02/2018 across arts and leisure, retail (clothing & footwear, department stores, florists, pharmacy and beauty, electronics) and hospitality sectors. Predictions made based on 2018 figures.

About Worldpay
Worldpay, Inc. (NYSE: WP; LSE: WPY) is a leading payments technology company with unique capability to power global omni-commerce. With an integrated technology platform, Worldpay offers a comprehensive suite of products and services, delivered globally through a single provider. Worldpay processes over 40 billion transactions annually, supporting more than 300 payment types across 146 countries and 126 currencies. The company is focused on expanding into high-growth markets and customer segments, including global eCommerce, integrated payments and B2B. Visit us at www.worldpay.com.

For more information, please contact:
Siobhan Acha Derrington : Siobhan.Derrington@worldpay.com – +44 (0) 203 664 4822
Rebecca Mansfield, Golin : rmansfield@golin.com – +44 (0) 207 067 0855

¹ Analysis of card transactions processed by Worldpay in the UK between 01/02/2017 – 17/02/2017 and 01/02/2018 – 17/02/2018 across arts and leisure, retail (clothing & footwear, department stores, florists, pharmacy and beauty, electronics) and hospitality sectors