The rise of e-commerce and online shopping has transformed Valentine’s Day. Gone are the last-minute trips for petrol station flowers, now replaced by dazzling diamonds and beautiful bouquets available with just a few clicks.
However, it’s not the only change in the most romantic day of the year—as people increasingly shower their pets with affection and gifts instead of their loved ones! One study revealed that more than half of Gen Zs (51%) would rather spend the day snuggled up with their pet rather than their partner.
Not only that, but some are also spending more money on their furry friends than loved ones too! Of course, that offers food for thought (or paws for thought?!) for customers as well as e-commerce businesses on great gift ideas for pets.
For consumers, it’s deciding on the perfect present—whether that’s a fancy new bed (that’s destined to be ignored because, well, we’ve all been there), or something wearable, such as a cool sweater or new collar. Or, since you’re shopping online anyway, maybe something tech-focused like an automatic ball launcher, smart pet camera, or GPS tracker.
And for those selling, it can be a great way to try and pin down the most profitable items to sell. Toys and enrichment products like puzzle feeders offer the opportunity for high turnover and a better chance of impulse buying. Of course, this all needs to be done while keeping an eye on items that can easily scale up or down in terms of stock levels, according to demand.
While it’s not a sustained purchase period in the same way as Black Friday or Christmas, it is worth making sure your business is able to handle busy periods like these—because 62% of customers say that a positive shopping experience on Valentine’s Day would make them more likely to continue using your business throughout the year.
As consumer habits continue to evolve and Valentine’s Day becomes a bigger e-commerce event, it’s something for businesses to keep in mind moving forward!
