Valentine’s Day continues to be an important seasonal moment for retailers, but how Canadians approach it is evolving. To understand what’s changing, we surveyed 2,264 Canadian shoppers about their Valentine’s Day plans this year and compared the results to last year’s behaviour.
We’ve captured the key findings on gifting, spending, and dining trends for Valentine’s Day 2026 in a handy infographic, and you’ll find the deeper analysis below.
Valentine’s Day gifting remains firmly on Canadian's calendars. 78% of respondents say they plan to buy cards, chocolates, candy, flowers, or other Valentine’s gifts this year, closely mirroring last year’s participation levels.
This consistency suggests that while consumers may be more value-conscious overall, Valentine’s Day continues to feel like a “protected” occasion, one many shoppers are unwilling to skip entirely.
Retail takeaway: Valentine’s Day remains a reliable traffic driver, particularly for core seasonal items like candy, cards, and small gifts.
When asked where they plan to buy the majority of their Valentine’s Day items, shoppers overwhelmingly told us they'll be visiting big box retailers:
This highlights a continued shift toward one-stop, value-oriented shopping, with convenience and price playing a major role.
Retail takeaway: Strong in-store visibility, seasonal endcaps, and bundled Valentine’s offerings can help capture spend, especially in high-traffic box and dollar store environments.
Despite ongoing cost-of-living pressures, most shoppers say their Valentine’s Day spend will remain steady:
Rather than trading down, consumers appear to be maintaining their budgets, likely making more deliberate choices about where and how they spend.
Retail takeaway: Promotions that emphasize value, practicality, or “small indulgences” may resonate more than luxury positioning this Valentine’s Day.
Valentine’s Day dining is seeing a noticeable uptick. While 44% of respondents went out for dinner or a special meal last year, 51% plan to do so this year, a meaningful increase.
This suggests consumers may be prioritizing experiences alongside gifts, or even replacing larger gifts with a night out.
Foodservice takeaway: Valentine’s Day menus, prix-fixe offers, and limited-time promotions could see strong interest, especially if positioned as affordable indulgences.
Want to see how your Valentine’s Day products are performing at retail or how shoppers are responding in real time? Field Agent can help you measure, optimize, and act on what matters most this season.