Valentine’s Day sparks 20% surge in Thai shopping expenditure

This year’s Valentine’s Day has boosted Thai people’s shopping expenditure by 20% year on year, with shopping preferences differing from generations, Central Group’s consumer insight firm, The 1 Insight, said on Friday.

This proves that Thai people pay attention to Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to express their affection toward their acquaintances, the company said.

The 1 Insight’s survey indicated that most Thai people purchased healthy products for their partners, in which the top five products included fitness equipment, smart watches, sports shoes, gym clothes and sports equipment.

However, there was a significant difference in shopping preferences from generations. Generation Z (people aged 13-28 years) focuses on enjoying the day of love. They prefer buying cosmetics, perfumes and alcoholic beverages more than others.

Generation Y (29-44 years) pays attention to their health and beauty, with spending on sportswear, jewellery, accessories and fashion items. 

Generation X (45-60 years) and Baby Boomers (61-79 years) pay attention further on healthcare, such as sports equipment, skincare products and cooking ingredients.

According to a survey by Central Retail Corporation (CRC) VoiceShare, 80% of Thais believe that Valentine’s Day is an opportunity to express love and care, followed by 15% who said it is a festival for teenagers and 5% who believe it would create business opportunities.

Meanwhile, 45% of Thais give presents to family members, followed by their partners (40%), friends (10%) and themselves (5%). Each Thai has allocated 500-2,000 baht for purchasing a gift a week ahead of Valentine’s Day.

(2025/02/14-00:00)