Valentine’s Day remains one of the largest seasonal occasions for flowers in the United States. The latest National Retail Federation (NRF) forecast put total Valentine’s Day spending at $29.1 billion in 2026, while flowers were planned as a gift by 41% of consumers. Earlier Society of American Florists (SAF) surveys add detail about the people buying flowers, the recipients they choose, and the products and shopping channels involved.
Contents
- Latest U.S. spending and flower demand
- Who buys Valentine’s Day flowers
- Who receives the flowers
- Flower types and product choices
- Where shoppers buy and what they spend
- Historical demand and 2026 wholesale indicators
Latest U.S. spending and flower demand
The NRF’s 2026 figures are forecasts and survey results, so they should be read as planned spending rather than a final accounting of completed purchases. The organization expected U.S. consumers to spend a record $29.1 billion on Valentine’s Day in 2026. The projected average gift budget was $199.78 per shopper.
Flowers were among the planned gifts for 41% of U.S. consumers in the 2026 survey. NRF also expected shoppers to spend $3.1 billion on Valentine’s Day flowers. Together, those figures show that flowers occupy a substantial, separately measured share of the wider holiday budget.
The comparable NRF 2025 forecast projected total Valentine’s Day spending at a record $27.5 billion, with an average planned spend of $188.81 per person. Flowers were planned by 40% of consumers, and expected flower spending was $2.9 billion. These are two annual forecast snapshots, not a like-for-like measure of final retail sales.
| Measure | 2025 forecast | 2026 forecast or survey |
|---|---|---|
| Total U.S. Valentine’s Day spending | $27.5 billion | $29.1 billion |
| Average planned spend per person | $188.81 | $199.78 |
| Consumers planning flowers | 40% | 41% |
| Expected flower spending | $2.9 billion | $3.1 billion |
Sources: NRF, 2025 Valentine’s Day spending and NRF, 2026 Valentine’s Day spending.
Who buys Valentine’s Day flowers
SAF’s 2022 survey measured fresh-flower or plant gift purchasing across several groups. Overall, 22% of Americans bought fresh flowers or plants as Valentine’s Day gifts. The rate was higher among married Americans, at 26%, and higher again among Americans with children in the household, at 38%.
The same survey recorded a 28% purchase rate among men. Adults ages 18–34 had a 33% rate, while full-time employees had a 29% rate. These percentages describe the specified groups in the 2022 survey; they should not be treated as current demographic estimates or as mutually exclusive categories.
The 2026 NRF survey provides a broader view of planned holiday gifting. Among Americans celebrating Valentine’s Day, 83% planned to purchase a gift for a significant other. Another 58% planned to buy gifts for family members such as children, parents, or siblings. Those measures cover gifts generally, whereas the SAF figures specifically concern fresh flowers or plants.
This distinction matters when interpreting demand. A person may plan a gift without planning flowers, and a flower buyer may purchase for more than one recipient. The available surveys therefore describe overlapping parts of the occasion rather than one single buyer count.
Who receives the flowers
In SAF’s 2022 survey, spouses received flowers from 54% of Valentine’s Day flower buyers. A significant other was a recipient for 21% of buyers, while mothers were recipients for 24%. The categories are recipient groups reported by the survey and are not presented as a single total.
Self-purchase was also visible. Thirteen percent of Valentine’s Day flower buyers bought flowers for themselves. The gender breakdown was 8% among male buyers and 20% among female buyers.
Spouse and self-purchase patterns differed by gender as well. Among male flower buyers, 61% bought for a spouse. Among female flower buyers, 42% bought for a spouse. These figures describe buyers in the 2022 SAF survey and show why recipient targeting extends beyond a single romantic-partner segment.
For floral designers, the recipient data identifies several distinct occasions within Valentine’s Day: spouse gifting, significant-other gifting, family gifting, and personal purchase. The statistics support treating these as separate use cases while keeping the measurement year visible.
Flower types and product choices
Roses dominated the flower choices recorded by SAF in 2022. Roses were purchased by 83% of Valentine’s Day flower buyers. Red roses alone were purchased by 65%, followed by pink roses at 40%, white roses at 36%, and mixed-color roses at 32%.
Other rose colors also had measurable shares. Yellow roses were purchased by 26% of buyers, purple or lavender roses by 24%, peach or coral roses by 21%, and orange roses by 12%. Because buyers could select more than one type or color, these percentages should not be added together.
| Flower or product choice | Share of 2022 flower buyers |
|---|---|
| Roses, any type | 83% |
| Red roses | 65% |
| Pink roses | 40% |
| White roses | 36% |
| Mixed-color roses | 32% |
| Yellow roses | 26% |
| Purple or lavender roses | 24% |
| Peach or coral roses | 21% |
| Orange roses | 12% |
The survey also recorded choices outside individual rose colors. Mixed flowers were purchased by 36% of buyers. Non-rose flower types such as tulips, carnations, or lilies were purchased by 35%, and plants by 27%.
The earlier SAF comparison provides one historical reference point: red roses were purchased by 61% of Valentine’s Day flower buyers in 2020. That result is from a different survey year and should be kept separate from the 2022 color-choice results. The combined picture is still clear: roses lead, but mixed bouquets, non-rose flowers, and plants represent meaningful alternatives.
Where shoppers buy and what they spend
SAF’s 2020 survey measured the shopping destinations used by Valentine’s Day flower buyers. Supermarkets or grocery stores were used by 51% of buyers. Retail florists were used by one-third, or 33%. National toll-free or internet floral services were used by 20%, while mass merchandisers were used by 13%.
The destination figures describe usage, not exclusive channel shares. A buyer could use more than one source. They also predate the NRF’s 2026 survey, which found that online retailers were a planned shopping destination for 38% of U.S. consumers and department stores for 35%.
The 2020 SAF survey reported different median flower spending levels by destination. The median was $69.60 for purchases from national internet floral services, $50 for retail florists, $40 for mass merchandisers, and $25 for grocery stores.
Across flowers and plants, the median amount spent was $30 in 2020. SAF reported medians of $40 in both 2019 and 2018. The average was $58.90 in 2020 and $70.20 in 2019. Median and average values answer different questions, so they should not be used interchangeably.
Historical demand and 2026 wholesale indicators
SAF estimates that more than 250 million roses are produced for Valentine’s Day. The organization’s undated holiday comparison says Valentine’s Day accounted for 30% of holiday fresh-flower and plant transactions and 28% of holiday fresh-flower and plant dollar volume. These are SAF estimates and comparison measures; no year is supplied for them.
USDA’s National Ornamental Trends provides a dated indicator for the 2026 Valentine’s pull. For the weeks ending January 17, January 24, and January 31, 2026, USDA reported 52.932 million, 48.742 million, and 70.728 million imported hybrid-tea rose stems, respectively. The three weekly values are reported observations, not a forecast of total seasonal supply.
USDA also reported red Freedom hybrid-tea roses at $1.09–$1.13 per 50-centimeter stem on February 2, 2026, during the Valentine’s pull. The price is a dated wholesale-market range for the specified rose and stem length, not a retail bouquet price.
These indicators connect consumer purchasing statistics with floral supply. Consumer surveys describe planned gifts, buyers, recipients, products, and channels. SAF estimates describe the scale and holiday importance of the floral occasion. USDA’s weekly stem volumes and dated wholesale range show how the 2026 market was being measured close to Valentine’s Day.