Over half Valentine's Day shoppers opting out of flowers, chocolate

Savvy marketers have already put the wheels in motion in the run up to Valentine's Day but some, like consumers themselves, are likely to leave it to the last minute. Here are a couple of projections that might make marketers, even those not in the chocolate or flower industry, put their foot on the gas.

by Helen Leggatt

Even though almost half of the people surveyed for the eBillme Online Spending Index haven't yet decided what to buy their loved one this Valentine's Day, almost a quarter (23%) do know where they'll make their purchase - online.

The poll of over 1,200 consumers found that 9% more than last year will be trawling the Internet looking for Valentine's Day gifts, spending an average of $236.

However, it seems many consumers are thinking out of the box this year, with the majority (57%) intending to go for something a little more original than the faithful flowers or chocolates. But many purchases will no doubt be last-minute. Even with a few weeks to go half of men remain unsure of what to buy their ladies and 45% of women are in a similar predicament regarding their guys. What's the betting they end up buying flowers or chocolates?

"The number of consumers planning to shop online for Valentine's gifts and spend more than last year is encouraging news for the eCommerce industry," said Samer Forzley, Vice President of Marketing for eBillme.

"It's interesting to see that consumers are looking towards more non-traditional gifts this year but are still in the dark about they will be purchasing. For e-tailers, this means there is still time to market and capture these undecided sales."