Valentine's Day, celebrated each year on February 14th, is a moment devoted to affection, appreciation, and meaningful connection. Whether shared between partners, family members, or close friends, the day inspires gestures that express care and remembrance. Through thoughtful gifts, heartfelt messages, and shared experiences, Valentine’s Day continues to create emotional moments that linger long after the day has passed.

As traditions evolve, online shopping plays an even greater role in how people prepare their surprises. From customized keepsakes to indulgent treats, e-commerce platforms make it easy to find and send gifts across cities, countries, and time zones, allowing love to travel instantly.

According to National Retail Federation Valentine's Day consumer spending in 2026 is projected to reach a new record of $29.1 billion, surpassing the previous $27.5 billion high in 2025. Average spending per consumer is expected to rise to about $199.78, up from $188.81 last year, reflecting continued growth in both gifting and experience-based purchases. More than half of consumers (around 55%) plan to celebrate, with significant focus on romantic partners as well as family and close friends.

Projections for Top Spending Categories:

• Jewelry: ~$7.0 billion
• Evening out & experiences: ~$6.3 billion
• Clothing & accessories: ~$3.5 billion
• Flowers: ~$3.1 billion

Spending on significant others will hit a record $14.6 billion (up from $14.2 billion in 2024).

Spending on family members is expected to reach $4.3 billion (matching 2020's record), and gifts for friends (32%) and co-workers (19%) are at all-time highs.

Online shopping remains dominant at 38%, followed by department stores (34%) and discount stores (29%). These trends increasingly emphasize broader social connections and digital shopping experiences.

This data shows that while classic categories like jewelry and dining remain top choices, consumers are also investing in meaningful and experiential gifts as part of celebrating connections throughout their social circles.

Online shopping is expected to maintain its position as a leading purchase channel, driven by convenience, last-minute delivery options, and personalization features that enhance the gifting experience.

With expectations running high on Valentine's Day, online businesses face increased pressure to perform flawlessly. Any disruption in service during this critical period can directly impact customer experience and brand trust. This Valentine's Day Performance and Uptime Report highlights the importance of reliability during peak seasonal demand and examines how online retailers handle increased traffic and transaction loads.

For the 19th year, WebSitePulse will monitor 6 popular gift websites. This Performance Report will measure the websites' uptime and response time as the most critical indicators of availability and reliability for online stores.

Web transactions will be measured every 15 minutes simultaneously from 3 different monitoring locations. In-depth analytical information is also collected and stored in the WebSitePulse system for future reference.