Collegiate Times

Beginning around 10th grade, most Americans share, or at the very least acknowledge, a general feeling that Valentine’s Day is a “Hallmark Holiday.” Being a stereotypical Valentine’s Day-hating male, I naturally share this sentiment with all my unromantic brothers. We recoil at the prospect of shelling out $30 for flowers, roll our eyes at the notion of heart-shaped chocolate boxes, and most of all, we despise Hallmark cards. As I write this column, I still haven’t purchased a gift for a certain girl who will probably be expecting something come Feb. 14 (in case said girl happens to read this, I would like to remind her I always come through in the clutch).

Even worse than my lack of a suitable gift is the fact that my acceptance of the need to give a gift completely undermines my integrity as a Valentine’s Day-hater. As with most things in life, follow the money and you’ll find the truth. Guys claim to despise the sappy holiday, but somehow every year in mid-February, guys in relationships are easily distinguished from those who are single. It is an annoying truth that sometimes broad generalizations are in fact accurate, and Valentine’s Day certainly fits this bill. Economic data, and general observation, proves that in the eyes of the businessman, Valentine was truly a saint.

ComScore Networks, a consumer research organization in Reston, Va., reported that in 2007 flower revenues doubled in the week before Valentine’s compared to the four weeks prior; likewise, watch and jewelry revenue increased 22 percent over the same time interval, jumping to $24 million.

These are relatively expected and planned spikes in purchasing; history has not failed producers yet. There are, however, novel trends growing within the amorous commercial sector. As Andrew Lipsman, an analyst at ComScore notes, online purchasing of holiday gifts has swept the market, especially in the flower market, as indicated by 1-800-Flowers’ recent Super Bowl advertisement. In terms of raw numbers, according to ComScore, 29 million Americans visited the flower, gifts and greeting card retail category in January. To give an idea of the profundity of this number of people, 29 million represents approximately one in six Internet users.

Much of the attractiveness of online flower delivery sites comes from an enhanced reputation for timely delivery. Moreover, these sites also benefit from the almost-constant connection to the Internet, not only from the expansion of high-speed Internet throughout the decade, but also the spread of cell phones with Internet capabilities such as the iPhone and Droid devices. It is possible, almost certain, that some sociologist will one day claim this to be a reflection of our society as procrastinators who use office time to handle personal business. While I cannot comment on the legitimacy of this claim, it is obvious that the social-transforming power of the Internet is reshaping the Valentine’s market.

Another novelty of this year’s celebration of St. Valentine is that it will fall on Sunday, followed by President’s Day the next day. Because President’s Day is a holiday for many (sadly, not for college students), experts are anticipating an even greater boom in restaurant revenue over the weekend. According to John Foley of All Business magazine, jewelry and candy revenues will actually decline this particular year, though overall spending on the holiday is expected to increase by more than 3 percent.

So it seems that despite its immensity, the great recession will spare St. Valentine’s Day, though the ever-evolving face of technology will modify the way in which it is celebrated. It is (for guys) another annoying truth: Holidays don’t really change, even in recessions, and no girl wants a cheapskate boyfriend. So suck it up and order those flowers online while you’re Web-browsing through your early-morning lecture or toying with your iPhone at home.

For the true purists, who insist on defying social norms, gift giving doesn’t have to be cheesy and corporate. Give something that is unique; a picture frame for the artist, or sheet music for the pianist. This is the way to return St. Valentine’s Day to a celebration of the uniqueness of love, rather than corporate transactions and economic calculations. However, the development of the economics of the heart depends on people actually going out and breaking the trend of generalities and giving the gifts that suit a unique lover.

A version of this article appeared in the Feb 12 issue of the Collegiate Times.