The Logistics of Valentine’s Day during COVID-19 Pandemic

Consumers Still Finding Ways to Celebrate

Valentine’s Day is all about spreading love to those closest to us and is the second-highest-ranking holiday in terms of expected spending.

Traditional celebrations include pink and red greeting cards, roses, chocolates, and candlelight dinners.

While the pandemic has made doing so in person a little more complicated, consumers are still finding ways to celebrate.

According to NRF and Prosper Insights & Analytics’ annual Valentine’s Day survey, 52% of people are celebrating in one way or another this year.

With consumers spending $32 less than last year and preferring to stay at home, retailers and restaurants are getting creative to remain a part of any celebrations!

Flower Purchases and Deliveries

One of the most common gifts on Valentine’s Day is a bouquet of flowers. After all, bright, crisp flowers can brighten just about anyone’s day!

Florists and flower companies as a whole are eager for the business that Valentine’s Day brings. Deliveries of bouquets of beautiful roses and assorted flowers are a perfect way to celebrate and brighten up a room during the pandemic.

The United States produces fewer than 30 million roses a year. This barely makes a dent in the 200 million roses that are generally bought for Valentine’s Day. Most of these flowers are imported from Colombia before they’re sold to consumers in the USA.

Meal Kits

Many of those who are celebrating are looking to share a romantic meal that differs from the takeout they’ve been ordering in quarantine.

Popular meal kit companies and restaurants have curated recipes for people to cook at home that will be just as delicious as their restaurant-quality meals of years past! Whether you’re looking for seafood, steak, or vegetarian meals, companies like Omaha Steaks and Maine Oyster Company have got you covered.

Boxes of Chocolate

Big heart-shaped boxes of chocolate have been a staple in Valentine’s Day celebrations for a long time.

As time has gone by, the box and its design have become just as important as the taste of the treats inside!

Companies are working with leading chocolatiers and artists to come up with all different shapes and sizes of boxes and chocolates. They continue to branch out with chocolate fillings, drawing customers in with flavors like blueberry, passion fruit, pineapple, and more!

Seamless Delivery

Regardless of how you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day this year, seamless delivery is crucial.

If a customer walks into a store they expect to be able to purchase roses from and finds no roses, their experience with the brand is going to suffer.

Logistics professionals need to balance final mile delivery to homes with keeping shelves stocked at brick and mortar stores. With so many people placing online orders for Valentine’s Day specific items, logistics professionals have their work cut out for them.

It’s important that supply chains operate effectively and efficiently so that no products are left behind.

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Gartner Magic Quadrant for TMS (Gartner Research)
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