Valentine’s Day Retail Ideas: 18 Tactics to Win Over Your Customers’ Hearts

Happy (almost) Valentine’s Day, retailers! Since the day of hearts is upon us, we thought it’s high time to remind merchants about the things they can do to spread the love. You don’t have to be in flowers or gifts industry to show your V-Day spirit. As you’ll see below, there are many things you can do around February 14 (or any day, for that matter) to show your customers and staff how much you love them.

From Valentine’s Day promotion ideas to easy-to-implement campaigns, here are some tactics to try on and before the 14th.

1. Find Valentine’s Day sales and partnership opportunities

Valentine’s Day is the first consumer holiday of the year, so if you felt business slow down from the Christmas season, this could be just the thing to give you a sales boost.

Use this holiday to find revenue opportunities. If it makes sense for your business, stock up on products that are commonly purchased for Valentine’s Day. These include jewelry, greeting cards, candies, or flowers.

It’s also important to remember that Valentine’s Day isn’t just about “stuff.” A lot of consumers tend to treat their loved ones to experiences such as dinner at a romantic restaurant or a movie night.

With that in mind, consider partnering with a local restaurant or theater this February. Perhaps you can offer show tickets or gift certificates as part of a Valentine’s Day promotion.

2. Come up with winning Valentine’s Day promotion ideas

Speaking of which, according to research by the NRF, nearly 49% of consumers said they would spend more if they encountered “a really good sale or promotion.”

Clearly, your customers are looking for a deal, so it may be in your best interests to come up with a promotion for Valentine’s day to draw people into your store and drive sales. 

For best results, spend time thinking about your goals, products, and customers when crafting your offer.

For example, if you’re trying to move slow-moving stock, then a BOGO offer would be your best bet. But if your goalis too drive sales, then a percentage or dollar amount off might work best.

Whatever the case, figure out the best promotion type for your products AND audience, then implement it in your store.

3. Dedicate a special section on your website or store for Valentine’s Day

If you’re selling a lot of Valentine’s Day-centric merchandise, why not place them all in one convenient part of your website or store? Doing so will make it easier for your customers to find the items that they need. Forever 21 is doing just that this year. They currently have a “V-Day Shop” so shoppers can quickly find what the need for Valentine’s Day.

Meanwhile, Target has a corner of its store dedicated to Valentine’s Day merchandise and deals. Check out their creative display below:

4. Position your products as a unique, non-typical Valentine’s Day gift

Not selling romantic or gift-centric products? See if you can market them for Valentine’s Day anyway. Consider what BirchboxMan is doing: rather than trying to sell “typical” V-Day gifts, the company is positioning their product as a unique and non-cliche gift for Valentine’s Day, using the slogan “better than melted chocolate.”

5. Encourage customers to treat themselves

Self-love is another excellent angle for Valentine’s Day. If you don’t have a lot of romantic or gift-centric items in stock, then encourage shoppers to buy your products for themselves instead.

Have a look at what Kate Spade is doing. In anticipation of Valentine’s Day, the retailer sent out an email promoting their personalized merchandise and encouraging customers to give themselves a well-deserved treat.

6. Don’t forget about people’s pets

In 2020, much of the growth of Valentine’s Day spending was driven by consumers purchasing gifts for their pets. According to the NRF:

“[In 2020,] 27 percent of those celebrating say they are buying gifts for their pets, up from 17 percent in 2010. At the same time, expected spending on pet gifts has grown exponentially, from just $450 million to more than $1.7 billion during that same time period. Surprisingly, the trend is not just being driven by younger consumers like millennials and Gen Zers; spending on gifts for pets has grown among all shoppers under the age of 55.”

This trend will likely continue in 2021 and beyond. Due to the pandemic, 2020 saw significant growth in pet ownership, so we can expect more consumers to engage in gift-buying for their’ furry friends.

To that end, if you’re in the pet industry, be sure to implement some Valentine’s Day initiatves. (Hint: many of the tips in this post can be used in your store!)

7. Find a Valentine’s Day angle for your merchandise

Find ways to infuse your products with the spirit of Valentine’s Day. Check out Apple’s V-Day campaign last year. While electronics aren’t inherently romantic, Apple made it work by highlighting the many ways that their products can make your loved ones smile.

8. Promote Valentine’s Day *experiences*

The NRF’s 2019 Valentine’s Day survey found that almost a quarter of respondents (23.7%) planned on giving “a gift of experience,” while 42.3% said they would love to receive one.  That’s why if  you’re in the business of providing services or experiences, find ways to promote them for Valentine’s Day. 

For example, a few years go, The Therapy Centers in Lexington, KY created Valentine’s Day Package consisting of an hour massage, body scrub, and more.

As we mentioned earlier, the themes of pampering others and treating yourself are popular during Valentine’s season, so see if you can create store experiences around those themes.

9. Support a charity or local group

Here’s an idea: show your customers how much you appreciate them by supporting a charity or organization that they love. That what Pop & Ice Cream, a small business marketing and consulting firm is doing.

“At Popcorn & Ice Cream, we’re all about showing customers the love all year round and that includes Valentine’s Day!” says Hillary Berman, Founder and Small Business Fanatic at the company.

“For the past two years, we’ve sent our clients, as well as company partners and friends a box of Girl Scout Cookies with a note wishing them a ‘sweet’ Valentine’s Day. They absolutely love the surprise and that we’re supporting our local troop at the same time.”

Why not do something similar in your business? Give your best customers a token by sourcing it from a charity or group close to their heart. This will enable you to kill two birds with one stone: you’ll spread the love to customers while supporting a worthwhile cause at the same time.

10. Give your employees a Valentine’s Day treat

Don’t forget your employees this Valentine’s Day. Give them a special V-Day gift to show your appreciation. Doing so will not only delight them, but you can bet that they’ll be so pleased, they’ll pass the love along to your customers.

Note that what you choose to do doesn’t have to be a huge, expensive gesture. On his blog, Customer Service Expert Shep Hyken writes that businesses can delight employees just by offering a simple lunch or dessert. “How about a heart shaped cake. Just something to put a smile on everyone’s faces and put them in a great mood for the day. Happy employees lead to happy customers!”

11. Hold an event

Valentine’s season gives you a great excuse to throw a party. Why not hold a customer appreciation event and treat your best patrons to free food and a good time? You can even run a special sale while you’re at it.

That’s what NRG Salon Spa in Ontario did. In 2013, they threw a “Be Mine” customer appreciation event that included drinks, desserts, flowers, and 15% off all their services.

If you’re implementing social distancing, see if you can throw a virtual event instead. Have a look at what Paper Source, a gift and supplies store is doing.

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, Paper Source decided to hold a Galentine Virtual Hangout, an online event where attendees could learn all about Valentine’s Day cocktails, crafts, and more. Guests were encouraged to purchase supplies prior to the event, and Paper Source even threw in a 20% coupon for those purchases.

See if you can do something similar in your shop. If you’re an apparel retailer, for instance, maybe you can hold a fashion show coupled with a special Valentine’s Day sale.

See if you can do something similar in your shop. If you’re an apparel retailer, for instance, maybe you can hold a fashion show coupled with a special Valentine’s Day sale.

12. Be romantic, but still be you

A good way to generate that “awww” factor without being trite is to incorporate love into the unique aspects of your company. Steer clear of teddy bears and candy hearts if these things don’t have anything to with your business. Instead, find ways to be romantic while still being YOU.

Case in point: Check out this adorable ad by WiseUp Language School that reads, “Love is the language that unites people. English is what translates.”

Through the campaign, WiseUp managed to celebrate love while promoting its services at the same time. Strive to do something similar in your business.

13. Celebrate different kinds of love

Valentine’s Day isn’t just about romance. A lot of people celebrate their affection for family and friends during this time of the year, so don’t forget to highlight those types of love as well.

For example, if you’re running a special offer for Valentine’s Day, see to it that it’s something that all your customers can enjoy. 

Consider what Qdoba Mexican Grill did for Valentine’s Day in 2012. The restaurant encouraged its customers to share the love on February 14 through a creative Buy One Get One offer. To participate, customers had to buy one entrée and share a kiss with a significant other, relative, friend, or even a stranger–and Qdoba gave them a second entrée for free.

The promotion was a hit, and it allowed Qdoba customers to celebrate love (whether it’s a significant other, friend, or relative) while enjoying a free meal at the same time.

14. Market according to gender

Remember that men and women have different purchasing habits during Valentine’s season. Men, for instance, tend to spend more than women. According to a study by SurveyMonkey, “men reported that they’ll spend $100 on their significant other, while women said they’ll spend $50. And when it comes to how much men and women expect their significant other to spend on them? Men expect to receive gifts totaling $5, and women expect $50.”

Keep these distinctions in mind when implementing your V-Day campaigns. For example, if you’re sending marketing emails or newsletters for Valentine’s Day, make sure to segment your list by gender and send different emails to each group.

If you have any data on your site visitors, tailor your landing pages by displaying different recommendations and content for the two genders.

15. Inject humor

There isn’t a shortage of jokes around February 14, so don’t be afraid to use them, especially on social sites. Give your fans and customers a laugh by poking fun at Valentine’s Day. Comedians always have something to say this time of the year, so feel free to share their clips or jokes on your Facebook page or blog.

You can also check out Someecards.com and share (or create) hilarious V-Day cards like the one above.

16. Read your customers before approaching them

Instead of acting all perky with everyone on Valentine’s Day, instruct your associates to get a feel for each customer’s mood before talking to them.

Research has shown that being friendly and happy may not always be the best way to approach consumers. When a shopper is in a bad mood, they won’t be inclined to unique in a happy environment.

So this Valentine’s Day, pay extra attention to the non-verbal cues of your customers. If a shopper looks happy and excited, then it’s okay to be friendly and chatty. However, if someone is in a bad mood, it’s best to be sympathetic or even a little reserved. Instead of rushing in to chat and assist them, give them some space. Acknowledge their presence, and then gently remind them that you’ll be around to help in case they need anything.

17. Lead shoppers to the perfect Valentine’s Day gift

Here’s another interesting tidbit from the NRF study: according to their survey, 36.4% of respondents “indicated they’d be willing to spend a little more if they found the perfect gift for someone.” This tells us that while getting a fantastic price is a significant factor in people’s buying decisions, many consumers would still pay extra if they found the perfect gift.

As a retailer, you need to make sure that your customers get their hands on the right present. This starts with being attuned to the tastes and preferences of your customers. Make sure you know what they want and then stock up and merchandise accordingly.

Another way to lead people to the perfect present is through gift guides. Consider creating a Valentine’s Day gift guide that categorizes items by giftee (i.e., “For Him” or “For Her), budget (i.e. “Gifts under $25, $50, 100”) or even category (i.e. “Tech Gifts” or “Jewelry”)

Need inspiration for your V-Day gift guide? Check out what Macy’s is doing. The retailer’s guide makes it easy for shoppers to zero in on the perfect present. It’s well-organized and uses a great design.

18. Have your employees nominate memorable customers (then give them a special treat)

Consider giving out awards or special gifts to your best customers. But instead of just looking at sales data, identify these shoppers using more qualitative ways. Check out what Egencia (Expedia’s corporate travel arm) did during its customer appreciation effort for Valentine’s Day last year.

Egencia had its travel agents nominate customers to receive a Starbucks gift card, and they had their staff explain their reasons behind their nominations.

For instance, one client was nominated because they remained patient with their travel agent despite being stranded. Another client got a nomination because the agent enjoyed working with them.

Once the nominations were in, Egencia got in touch with the customers to send them their gift cards. The great thing about the effort is that instead of just giving away the Starbucks cards, Egencia took things a little ways further by actually telling their customers why they were nominated.

“I had just planned on reaching out to the customer and not sharing why they were nominated,” Cate Vanasse, Egencia’s Senior Marketing Manager told Marketing Sherpa. “But as I started to look through the reasons why travel consultants nominated someone, it was so touching that we just knew we had to put that in front of the customer.”

According to her, that human element went a long way with their customers, and Egencia got a lot of great feedback because of it.

Bonus: Use Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to evaluate your customer relationships

Valentine’s is a great season to remind business that they’re actually in a relationship with their customers. As Eoghan McCabe, co-founder and CEO of Intercom, puts it, “Many people use this time of year to reflect on their relationships with those most important to them- their loved ones. It’s also a good time for businesses to think about their relationships with those most valuable to them — their customers!”

One of his top tips for doing this is to treat each customer as the unique individuals they are. “You wouldn’t talk to a new girl/boyfriend the same way as one you’ve dated for years, and you wouldn’t talk to that quiet accountant like you would that partying yoga instructor. Likewise, with your customers, don’t use a one-size-fits-all communication strategy; personalize your customer communications based on their history with your company, use of your product, and other factors.”

Erin Raese, President and COO of Loyalty360, echoes this and adds that businesses should recognize customers and show their appreciation in customized way. “As in any relationship, recognition is key. Recognize your best customers; let them know that you know they’re patronizing,” she says.

“This can be done in many ways depending on your existing strategies, you can just say thank you via a handwritten letter, a personal phone call or even an email or text.  The more personal the channel the better.”

Your turn

Have you shown customers how much you love them lately? Are you planning to? 

Can’t implement these right away? Recycle them for another occasion

The tips above may be Valentine-centric, but with a few tweaks, you can easily recycle these initiatives for other occasions. Events, for example, can be hosted around just about any holiday or noteworthy situation (there’s always a reason to throw a party!); and there’s never really a bad time to surprise or delight your employees.

So whether you’re reading this on Valentine’s Day, Christmas, or just a “normal” day of the year, always keep customer love top of mind and continuously find ways to express it.