# Three-quarters of Brits say Valentine’s plans unaffected by Covid

- URL: https://www.askattest.com/blog/research/three-quarters-of-brits-say-valentines-plans-unaffected-by-covid
- Published: 2022-02-08
- Updated: 2026-06-24
- Description: How will Brits spend Valentine's Day this year? Our new research reveals how (and if) people plan to celebrate the romantic holiday.

---
Following last year’s Valentine’s Day in lockdown, most lovebirds are in the mood to celebrate this year, with 54% planning something special. By contrast, 31% will ignore the day.

With the very recent lifting of all Covid restrictions in the UK, over three-quarters (77%) plan to celebrate the day like they *‘usually would’* (versus 23%) despite lingering safety concerns regarding the Omicron variant.

[Our data shows](https://dashboard.askattest.com/survey/EKMKWUFHBS9SMC) that Brits appear to be on a tight budget when it comes to Valentine’s Day 2022. Consumers are most likely to spend £25 or less on a gift this year (at 36%), followed by £25-50 (at 32%). However, one-fifth (21%) do plan to push the boat out and spend between £50-100 on their partner.

When quizzed on how they might celebrate this year, well over half say they will give a card to their Valentine:

**How are you planning on celebrating Valentine’s Day this year?**

- *Giving a Valentine’s Day card – 57%*
- *Sexual activity – 36%*
- *Going out for dinner – 35%*
- *Cooking a special meal at home – 33%*
- *Giving flowers – 28%*
- *Giving other shop-bought gifts (electronics, jewellery, etc) – 28%*
- *Getting a takeaway – 27%*
- *Kind gestures (cleaning the house, breakfast in bed, etc) – 23%*
- *Handmade/homemade gifts (a handwritten poem, a homemade cake, etc.) – 12%*

For those (28%) who plan to celebrate by giving flowers to their special someone, the clichéd red rose is still the pick of the bunch. Just under half (46%) of these respondents will purchase this type of flower, followed closely by mixed bouquets (45%). The reliance by some consumers on the old reliable red rose as a gift could be a risky one, however.

Last year, direct-to-consumer flower brand, Bloom & Wild, made the radical decision to [not sell any red roses](https://www.askattest.com/customers/bloom-and-wild) for Valentine’s Day, which resulted in double their usual press coverage and boosted sales by four times. Using Attest’s research platform, the brand found that 79% of people would prefer to receive a thoughtful gift rather than something traditional, like red roses. In fact, this research also uncovered that 58% of Brits think red roses are a cliché, while 38% feel roses are a last-minute gift choice that shows little thought.

## **What consumers think of Valentine’s Day**

When asked more broadly about their feelings towards the day itself, there’s a clear split in attitudes. However, the majority of Brits, at 59%, view Valentine’s Day as a *‘nice tradition*‘, while 36% think it is an invention of marketers.

Finally, our research finds that newer alternatives to Valentine’s Day have gained little popularity amongst the general public. Just 6% say they plan to celebrate Galentine’s Day (13/02/22) and 5% will enjoy Singles Awareness Day (15/02/22) instead of Valentine’s Day.

> Despite some Brits being skeptical about Valentine’s Day’s real purpose, the Attest research finds that the majority will not only celebrate it this year but also view it in a very positive way. This public enthusiasm presents a real opportunity for retailers and brands to be a central part of how people will enjoy the day this year.
> 
> Jeremy King, CEO and Founder of Attest