Chocolates, flowers and procrastination. For many Americans, Valentines Day is a last-minute affair
ABC News
Valentine's Day is meant to celebrate romance and the depths of feeling we have for loved ones
In a classic “Saturday Night Live” sketch, a young man hands his girlfriend a Valentine’s Day gift: a bear dressed in a bee costume that he picked up at the drugstore.
“When did you get this?” she asks with a strained smile.
“One minute ago,” he replies.
It has more than a ring of truth. For a day meant to celebrate romance and the depths of feeling we have for loved ones, a large portion of Valentine’s shopping is done at the last minute.
In each of the past two years, nearly half of U.S. spending on Valentine’s Day flowers, candy and cards occurred between Feb. 11 and Feb. 14, according to Numerator, a market research company. But sales do not peak until Valentine’s Day itself.
