Valentine's Day 2026 Spending Expected to Reach Record $29.1 Billion
Consumer spending on Valentine's Day is expected to reach a record $29.1 billion in 2026, surpassing the previous record of $27.5 billion set in 2025, according to the annual survey by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics .
Key Spending Metrics:
Average shopper budget: $199.78 (record high, up from $188.81 in 2025)
Over half (55%) of U.S. consumers intend to celebrate
Spending on romantic partners: $14.5 billion
Jewelry leads spending at $7 billion, followed by evening out ($6.3 billion), clothing ($3.5 billion), and flowers ($3.1 billion)
Katherine Cullen, NRF's VP of Industry and Consumer Insights, stated: "Much of that growth is driven by middle- and high-income shoppers who are expanding their gift lists to include friends, co-workers and even pets in addition to loved ones" .
