You Can Keep Your Hat On…14 Valentine’s Day Secrets

As part of its romantic #senditwithlove campaign, soft-hearted international courier ParcelHero.com has released 14 Valentine’s Day secrets that reveal why everyone likes to send gifts to the person they love on February 14th. You won’t guess the most popular Valentine gift they delivered last year…nor what kind of Valentine’s delivery even experts ParcelHero certainly won’t do…!

1

The fastest growing gifts for Valentine’s Day last year were… hats! Possibly inspired by the song ‘You Can Leave Your Hat On’, there was a 380% rise in the number of stylish women’s hats sent by ParcelHero’s customers for last Valentine’s Day. Could a hat be the answer if you’ve not thought of the perfect present yet?  Find out what ParcelHero’s customers’ most popular gifts are this Valentine’s. 

2

Valentine’s may be getting expensive… As well as hats, designer handbags also did very well, with a 100% increase in sending handbags as gifts over other months.

3

Predictably, there was a 200% increase in mailing lingerie through ParcelHero last Valentine’s, compared to other – less romantic – months. (On a similar subject, don’t miss No.14!)

4

Outside the UK ParcelHero’s top Valentine mailing destinations were the US, Canada and Australia. Then came: Italy, surely the HQ of Valentine’s Day; the honeymoon destination of Bermuda; and Denmark; home of the romantic story of the Little Mermaid... as well as saucy films.

5

A number of ParcelHero’s customers also sent romantic underwear to destinations in France last Valentine’s day. Is that the equivalent of sending coals to Newcastle?

6

We send 1 billion Valentine cards worldwide. In the US 145 million cards are sent every Valentine’s and in the UK 25 million.

7

Lingerie may still be popular but some old Valentine’s favourites seem to be going out of fashion. Despite the fact Americans usually spend £3.05bn ($4.4 bn) on Valentine’s jewellery, and the Brits £1.3bn on jewellery and similar gifts, ParcelHero shipments of rings, bracelets and necklaces were down by 27% last Valentine’s. It seems designer hats, handbags and shoes are now a girl’s best friend.

8

Many of ParcelHero’s customers use the courier service for online fulfilment and picking up returns to avoid High Street shops and Post Office queues. But things may have gone a little far in avoiding face to face contact…Nearly 50% of men now ask women out by text, and only 15% face to face!

9

The sending of chocolates with ParcelHero was down by 12% last Valentine’s; despite the fact Americans spent £1.1bn ($1.6bn) on Valentine’s Day chocolate!

10

But some Valentine traditions never go out of fashion. There was a 500% increase in the number of artificial roses and other flowers sent through ParcelHero compared to other months. Small wonder as £1.32bn ($1.9bn) is spent on flowers in the US and £262 million in the UK. Almost 75% of British men remember to buy their other halves flowers for Valentine’s.

11

83% of women would prefer a handwritten letter or card versus a text or email. Over 85% of women buy cards on Valentine’s Day.

12

London’s lovers spend on average £86.02 sending items on Valentine’s Day. That’s more than anywhere else in the UK. Who said Londoners are cynics? However, even Londoners are put to shame by the Americans: US males were estimated to spend an average £131 ($190) on Valentine’s day in 2015 and American women £66 ($96).

13

14% of women send themselves cards on Valentine’s Day. More fool the 70% of single men who spend Valentine’s Evening alone…

14

ParcelHero are experts in deliveries; but perhaps not this kind:  11,000 children are conceived every year on Valentine’s Day in America alone! 

Find out more about ideal Valentine's presents it's not too late to send. 

For more information please contact David Jinks, Head of PR, on david@parcelhero.com or by phone on 0208 7584962 (07772 055748 out of office hours)

Leading international online courier ParcelHero® strategically partners with the world's leading  logistics companies, including DHL, UPS and DPD, to provide a flexible, cost-effective range of parcel delivery services to over 220 countries worldwide. Huge bulk purchasing power allows ParcelHero® to offer highly competitive pricing with no compromise in service quality.

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