It’s February, which means Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching. It’s a time of love, but for some it’s also a time of uncertainty and stress. For one out of the 365 days in a year, it packs a heavy punch of feelings.
We spoke with a few of the team members at CardSnacks, the leading platform for personalized electronic greetings cards, and they shared some surprising facts with us. Keep reading if you’re curious what most people are putting in their Valentine’s Day cards and how CardSnacks’ users shoot their shot with Cupid’s arrow on February 14th.
Music Sets the Mood
On Valentine’s Day, most people attach a popular song to their e-card to give it that extra personal touch. There’s no better way to make your Valentine’s Day card more meaningful than by adding a soundtrack. Need help finding the perfect love song this year? Here are the top 5 songs that were added to cards from CardSnacks’ I Love You category this past year:
1. “The Best” by Tina Turner
2. “Infinity” by Jaymes Young
3. “God Gave Me You” by Blake Shelton
4. “Count on Me” by Bruno Mars
5. “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri (from Twilight)
For those with more traditional tastes, there is a preference for the romantic and classical music periods. These top 5 songs are:
1. “Minuetto” from String Quintet in E major by Luigi Boccherini
2. “Nocturne” in E Flat Major by Frederic Chopin
3. “Fur Elise” by Ludwig van Beethoven
4. “Romeo and Juliet: Fantasy Overture” by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
5. “Arabesque No. 1” by Claude Debussy
Regardless of what era users choose to include in their Valentine’s Day cards, we are sure it has an effect on boosting moods.
Gift Cards Are for Friends
Most people sending Valentine’s Day cards that contain some kind of online gift card do not usually intend for this to go to a significant other or partner. While it’s a generous gift and thoughtful gesture, it doesn’t scream romance.
If you’re interested in sharing a Valentine’s Day card with a friend this year, the top 5 e-gift cards sent on CardSnacks were:
1. Starbucks
2. Amazon
4. Target
Given the decidedly unromantic nature of most of these retailers, it seems to suggest that Valentine’s Day gift cards are also popular with family members beyond spouses as well as teachers, classmates, colleagues, and friends – or people stuck in the friend zone.
Check Out: Best Valentine’s Day Gifts for Her Under $150
Can Lovers Send Gift Cards?
For those who dig deeper, there can be a lot more thought and romance involved in a gift card choice. The five retailers that saw the highest median dollars spent per card were:
1. Nordstrom
3. Macy’s
4. Marshall’s
5. Sephora
As you can tell, these retailers have the potential to say romance because the products sold are more personal. A few extra bucks never hurts to seal the deal either.
The Way to the Heart Is Through the Stomach
Here’s one stat that shocked our team; Gift cards for food tend to do much better on Valentine’s Day than on the rest of the year. The retailers with the biggest bump relative to how they perform on other holidays were:
1. Chipotle
2. Dunkin’
3. Krispy Kreme
5. Uber Eats
While you might not use all of these gift cards to get in the Valentine’s Day mood (namely, Chipotle), you can certainly treat your person to something special the rest of the month. Food is always the best medicine.
You Get One Day to Shoot Your Shot
If you skip Valentine’s Day, your opportunity to capitalize on the romance is gone. Unlike other holidays, there isn’t much left to say once the day is over. Just 1.16% of Valentine’s Day cards are sent after the 14th. We like to think this 1.16% of people aren’t the ones that forgot, but rather the hopeful ones that went out on Valentine’s Day and found a new love interest. Don’t let yourself miss out this year. If you like someone or want to thank the friends in your life, send them an e-card as a reminder that you are thinking about them.
