Who is winning your heart this year? You may have already picked up flowers, jewelry, or candy for your special someone. If not, the day isn’t over.
Did you think about your four-legged babies like Max or Daisy? While couples are making plans for a romantic dinner, to give jewelry, flowers, or candy, increasingly, they are also gifting their pets.
“In fact, people are more likely to purchase a Valentine’s Day gift for their pets than a friend or coworker, and total spending in the category is expected to reach a record $2.1 billion this year,” according to the National Retail Federation.
There is still time to reward your fur baby. They can’t tell time unless it’s breakfast, lunch, and dinner when a nudge or bark will let you know.
This year, more than one-third of people celebrating Valentine’s Day plan to purchase gifts for their pampered pets, up from 19% a decade ago, and average spending has more than tripled. Pet parents have plenty of options to “chews” from, whether it’s treats or plush toys.
It’s not just Valentine’s Day — pets are becoming more included in other celebrations as well. “One of the biggest emerging trends and opportunities for pet gifts are specialty holidays,” says Dewar Gaines, CEO of Gaines Family Farmstead in Irondale, Ala. “Birthdays, adoption anniversary, Valentine’s Day, National Dog Day and the list goes on!”
