Money spending for Valentine's Day gifts for pets 2008-2016
Valentine’s Day with pets in the United States – additional information
It looks like Valentine’s Day might be losing its popularity. In 2016 some 55 percent of Americans made special plans to celebrate, almost ten percent less than in 2007. The criticism that is most often brought into discussion regarding St. Valentine’s, as well as more often in relation to Christmas, is the increased consumerism associated with both holidays. In fact, 66 percent respondents in a recent survey agreed that consumerism surrounding Valentine's Day has ruined the romance. That, however, did not stop Americans from spending an average of 96.63 U.S. dollars when buying a gift for their significant other, which added up to over 19 billion U.S. dollars being spent in total for the 2015 Valentine’s Day.
Another trend is influencing how this holiday is being celebrated. A shift from the actual romance and a move towards people spending time with and buying Valentine’s gifts for family members, friends, colleagues and last, but not least, their beloved pets. An estimated 703 million dollars were spent by pet owners around February 14th 2015, an average of 25 U.S. dollars per person. Some pet gifts can cost much more than this though, and be as extravagant as a pair of Swarovski crystal earrings, a golden sable fur coat for dogs or even a unisex fragrance for dogs called "Sexy Beast". Every year, more and more retailers are trying to bank on the humans‘ love for their furry or feathered friends, but so are many animal shelters, which organize Valentine’s Day campaigns promoting the greatest proof of love: the gift of an adoptive family.