How did Valentine’s Day Become Such a Big Draw for the eCommerce Sector?

Valentine’s Day dates back all the way to 496 AD, when the Feast of St Valentine was introduced by Pope Gelasius I. The famous occasion has always occurred on the 14th of February, and it became associated with love and romance in the 14th and 15th centuries.

In the 19th Century, assertive businesspeople realised there was money to be made from this occasion and began to mass-produce greeting cards. This gave birth to a sprawling industry that has become even bigger in the eCommerce era.

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Valentine's Day has Always Been Lucrative

Valentine’s Day has been a lucrative holiday for the commercial sector for more than one hundred years. It all began with greeting cards, but this spread and snowballed into other marketable products that could be given as gifts.

For example, in the UK in 1868, Cadbury created a line of heart-shaped boxes that were advertised as the perfect gifts for loved ones on the special day. This led to people exchanging other pricey items such as fancy teddy bears and jeweler.

Even Bigger in the Internet Age

The market for Valentine’s Day is, understandably, enormous in the internet age. In the days before online shopping, people were primed and ready to make purchases on this day. The best eCommerce sites took advantage of this and started to introduce new ways to spread the love.

Some of the new ideas that came about with the internet were e-cards, love coupons, and gift cards for online services like Spotify. Digital marketing tools have helped keep the holiday front and centre in people’s minds as well. In the lead-up to mid-February, ads for gift ideas constantly pop up all over social media and Google.

The eCommerce industry rakes in well over $20 billion every year for Valentine’s Day. Research has found that the average person will spend $196.31, which seems like an astonishing sum.

However, it is interesting to note that many shoppers now buy gifts for other family members, not just their spouses. This highlights a shift in marketing strategies and suggests that the holiday is evolving into one that appeals to a greater number of people.

Helped by Entertainment Industry

Aside from savvy internet marketers promoting Valentine’s Day, the entertainment industry has helped push it a lot. Just take a look at Netflix and all the romantic options on there, and you’ll notice how prevalent the holiday is.

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There are in fact so many romantic films available that it can be tricky for couples to find an enjoyable and fitting movie for themselves. If you’re still struggling with this, too, an infographic like this one might by helpful. By answering all the questions, you can find the perfect film for you.

The message of love shown in these movies can get people in the mood for Valentine’s Day, or even remind some couples that they still have shopping to do. The entertainment industry could be helping the day reach more people as well, with a whopping 76 per cent of the British population expected to celebrate this year.

Valentine’s Day has been a huge deal for hundreds of years, but the eCommerce sector has helped it hit new heights in recent times. The holiday appears to be evolving, and now it involves family members as well as couples.