E-commerce
Retailer’s prepare for romance this week.
It’s Valentine’s Day this week and while retailers across the country are cashing in
on offering tempting last minute gifts, Edible Blooms founder Kelly Jamieson is looking to be
a leading choice for on-the-day lovebirds.
The online retailer’s partnerships with UberEats and Deliveroo will deliver romance on behalf
of forgetful shoppers within an hour this Valentine’s Day, as the business looks towards a
record year for one of its busiest periods.
“We’re on track for a record year for Valentine’s Day,” Jamieson told IRW. “One of the
biggest challenges with gift companies is getting everything out quickly on Valentine’s Day
because there’s so much being sent.”
“Having that capacity means that customers can order within the hour and get it delivered
last minute.”
Valentine’s Day is expected to draw in a surge of sales for the entire sector this week, with
Australian Retailers Association (ARA) executive director Russell Zimmerman predicting that
the passage of same-sex marriage last year will drive activity.
“Although we celebrate Valentine’s Day every year, the ARA believe last year’s same sex
marriage vote will see specialty retailers receive a bigger increase in sales leading up to this
widely celebrated affair,” Zimmerman said.
While there’s no data available on forecasted sales in Australia, IBISWorld expects a record
breaking $20.1 billion to be spent over the holiday in the US this year, up 1.7 per cent on last
year.
Gerry Gerrard, CEO of floral retailer Interflora is expecting to deliver five million blooms
across the country during Valentine’s Day from both men and women.
“As love truly blooms for all on Valentine’s Day, we are seeing an increase in flowers being
delivered from men to men and from women to women,” Gerrard said.
Chocolates are expected to be one of the most popular product categories this year and
according to Jamieson, Edible Blooms has already nearly sold out of some of its top selling
lines, including chocolates and chocolate covered strawberries.
This year, Jamieson is focusing on the rise in last-minute shoppers and has recently
launched instant gifts, where recipients decide when and where their delivery is sent.
But for more organised shoppers, Pandora Jewellery has released a global study in time for
the big day, which revealed that 65 per cent of women believe they receive better gifts when
they drop their partners hints.
Unsurprisingly, the jewellery retailer’s survey found that most women consider jewellery to
be the most desirable gift Valentine’s Day gift.
That possibility isn’t lost on Jamieson, who has put $1,600 worth of diamonds in one lucky
customer’s gift this Valentine’s Day as part of a special holiday promotion.
For those not in the market for bling, lingerie is another option, which Vanessa Galina,
general manager of sales at Simone Perele, says is likely to be driven by women.
“Whilst partner purchases are often from people in a new relationship, we see women
looking to treat themselves to some pampering when they come in-store and Valentine’s Day
is a perfect excuse for customers to invest in themselves,” Galina said.
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