Tiphaine Dubuard / Photo credit: LUDOVIC MARIN / AFP 9:58 a.m., February 14, 2024
Three out of five French people plan to celebrate Valentine's Day this year. Between gifts, bouquets and outings, professionals are already rubbing their hands. And there's reason: Valentine's Day is even the most profitable day for catering. One in four restaurants is already full, according to the reservation platform TheFork.
If in love we don't count, Valentine's Day does have a price. 142 euros on average per lover. Buying jewelry, visiting the florist, dining at a restaurant or even an evening at the spa. This year, three out of five French people plan to celebrate Valentine's Day and they intend to treat themselves to the delight of professionals.
Want to have fun
In love, the French are not very original. Unsurprisingly, flowers are at the top of the favored gifts. More than a million bouquets are expected to be sold this Wednesday. Not very extravagant either: the perfumes. One in ten French people plan to offer some to their other half. And who says Valentine’s Day, says candlelight dinner. For the catering sector, it's the jackpot. It's even the most profitable day of the year.
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According to Damien Rodière, president of TheFork, a French online reservation platform, one restaurant in four is already full: "In general, the average ticket we see in January is 33 euros and here we are more than 40 euros. We also see that the French favor restaurants which have Valentine's Day menus because they want to treat themselves with complete menus: a starter, a main course, a dessert", he explains.
Lovers’ Day even thrills the hearts of e-commerce. Purchases on the different platforms are expected to increase by 25% for the occasion. And if flowers, perfumes and restaurants haven't found favor in your eyes, don't panic. You are a third party buying a gift at the very last moment.