Love-struck Aussies ready for romance this Valentine’s Day
Love is in the air for Australians as shoppers wear their hearts on their sleeves and prepare to spend a record $535 million on Valentine’s Day gifts for their loved ones.
Hearts are on fire across the nation, with 3.8 million Australians planning to buy gifts for the special someone in their lives this year, spending $70 million on gifts (+15%) more than last year. This is the first-time spending on Valentine’s Day has surpassed $500 million.
Love-struck youngsters are embracing the event, with people aged 18-34 making up the majority of shoppers this year (27%).
Most Valentine’s Day spending is set to take place in New South Wales ($210 million) with an average spend of $171 per person, followed by Victoria, with an expected spend of $140 million and an average spend of $150 per person.
Traditional gifts are likely to be popular, with Australians saying flowers, food, chocolates and experiences (dinners / trips away) will be their gifts of choice. One shopper is breaking the mould saying they will buy their partner a robot lawn mower, valued at $3,500.
The average man is projected to spend $162 on Valentine’s Day for a total spend of $375 million (up $20 million) while the average woman plans to spend $110 for a total spend of $160 million (up $50 million).
ARA Chief Industry Affairs Officer Fleur Brown says as tough times continue for many; Aussies are prioritising experiences with their loved ones:
“Despite challenging economic circumstances, Australians consistently look for opportunities to spoil their loved ones. We also know population growth plays a role in the growing spend.
“Valentine’s Day is a chance to share a special moment with a nearest and dearest, by buying gifts and enjoying some time together over a dinner or during a trip away.
“Retailers will welcome this $535 million shopping boost, as a small, sweet spot in what promises to be another intense year.
“Despite an increase in Valentine’s Day spending, tough trading conditions remain constrained overall, with subdued spending and high costs of doing business.”
Most popular gifts this year for men:
- Flowers
- Food / chocolate / alcohol
- Experience (dinner / trip away)
Most popular gifts this year for women:
- Food / chocolate / alcohol
- Flowers
- Card
Media Enquiries:
M 0434 381 670
E media@retail.org.au.
This ARA-Roy Morgan Snap SMS survey was conducted with an Australian-wide cross-section of 4,361 Australians aged 18+ on Thursday January 16 – Thursday January 23, 2025, including 480 who plan on buying gifts for Valentine’s Day.
About the Australian Retailers Association (ARA)
The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is the oldest, largest and most diverse national retail body, representing a $430 billion sector that employs 1.3 million Australians and is the largest private sector employer in the country. As Australia’s peak retail body, representing more than 120,000 retail shop fronts and online stores, the ARA informs, advocates, educates, protects and unifies our independent, national and international retail community. To learn more about ARA’s exclusive member benefits and more, visit retail.org.au
About Roy Morgan
Roy Morgan is Australia’s largest independent Australian research company, with offices in each state, as well as in the U.S. and U.K. A full-service research organisation, Roy Morgan has over 80 years’ experience collecting objective, independent information on consumers. To learn more visit www.roymorgan.com.
Margin of Error
The margin of error to be allowed for in any estimate depends mainly on the number of interviews on which it is based. Margin of error gives indications of the likely range within which estimates would be 95% likely to fall, expressed as the number of percentage points above or below the actual estimate. Allowance for design effects (such as stratification and weighting) should be made as appropriate.
| Sample Size | Percentage Estimate |
| 40% – 60% | 25% or 75% | 10% or 90% | 5% or 95% | |
| 1,000 | ±3.0 | ±2.7 | ±1.9 | ±1.3 |
| 5,000 | ±1.4 | ±1.2 | ±0.8 | ±0.6 |
| 7,500 | ±1.1 | ±1.0 | ±0.7 | ±0.5 |
| 10,000 | ±1.0 | ±0.9 | ±0.6 | ±0.4 |
| 20,000 | ±0.7 | ±0.6 | ±0.4 | ±0.3 |
| 50,000 | ±0.4 | ±0.4 | ±0.3 | ±0.2 |
