Thoughts inevitably turn to love and romance as February draws near, and this year may prove to be exceptionally amorous. An annual Valentine's Day survey conducted for FTD.COM suggests that Americans are feeling more romantic in 2002, compared with last year.
Seventy-eight percent of survey respondents said they were currently in love, up more than 10 percent from 2001. However, while Americans may be wrapped up in romance, most feel spending large amounts of money isn't necessary to show it. Almost all Americans (98 percent) agree that a gift doesn't have to be expensive to be meaningful. In order to make the most of money spent on a Valentine's Day gift, experts recommend concentrating on tried-and-true favorites, such as flowers.
"Flowers have traditionally been the most popular choice for Valentine's Day," said Michael Soenen, president and CEO of FTD.COM. "FTD.COM has hundreds of flower arrangements to choose from in all price ranges, making it easy to pick the perfect arrangement for someone."
Sixty percent of Americans agree that flowers are the gift that most expresses love and romance, followed by gourmet gifts (16 percent), lingerie (14 percent), perfume (6 percent) and gift certificates (4 percent). In fact, 69 percent of women surveyed said they hope to receive flowers this coming Valentine's Day.
A Rose By Any Other Name
Flowers - especially roses - are a sure bet for women on Valentine's Day, backed by the fact that 60 percent of men surveyed said they'd sent flowers in the past year. Following are several arrangements that FTD.COM expects to be popular this year:
The FTD Contemporary Rose Bouquet - Similar to the bouquets used in home decor and design magazines, this bouquet of tightly gathered roses is arranged in a low, round glass vase.
The FTD Blooming Masterpiece Bouquet - A traditional arrangement of one dozen roses.
The FTD Lasting Romance Bouquet - A premium arrangement of red roses surrounded by a variety of delicate white flowers.
Send flowers cheap way to show love.
Gifts for Guys
According to survey results, top Valentine's Day gifts for men include chocolates, Champagne and other items. Following are FTD.COM's suggestions for men:
Kama Sutra Weekender Kit - Contains oils, balms, wild clove and mint tree bath gels, as well as honey dust and a handmade feather applicator.
Ghirardelli Valentine Treats - A Valentine gift box "choc-full" of San Francisco's famous chocolate treats for a favorite chocoholic.
Vodka Cooler Set - An elegant way to enjoy vodka with friends. The seven-piece set comes with an ice bowl and six vodka glasses.
The FTD.COM survey represents the findings of an online survey conducted by Impulse Research from Aug. 17 to 24, 2001 of 1,200 adults, 49 percent male and 51 percent, 18 years and older and living in the continental United States.