There’s no better way to say ‘Happy Valentines’ than a visit to the supermarket. To celebrate the 2023 day of love, Fooodstuffs have released some stats on what Kiwis were buying for the big day in 2022. The top sellers are exactly what you would expect: flowers, chocolate and condoms.
Last year, 30,000 kiwis said it with flowers. There was a 226 percent increase in flower sales on the day of love itself. Cadbury Roses were among the most popular chocolates, with sales up 380 percent the week of valentines, compared to the week prior. Bubbles sales peaked the weekend before Valentine’s Day, and were up 57 percent on the day itself.
Kiwis are regular condom buyers, but North Islanders got particularly excited the week of Valentine’s, with sales up 30 percent. Personal lubricant also saw a massive 61 percent sales increase – perhaps that is why September through November are some very common birthday months.
“Last year, it was a Monday and this year it’s a Tuesday, and those aren’t traditionally your most ‘sexy’ days of the week, so things like bubbles and personal lubricant may not actually hit their peak on the day itself. But short-term things like fresh beautiful flowers arranged in-store daily, are always best picked up as close to the day as possible,” said Chris Day, Head of Customer Insights and Intelligence at Foodstuffs.
“We know many Kiwis will look to celebrate at home this year to save money, so some might throw together a nice meal with a few gourmet ingredients or grab a New World and Pakn’Save meal kit, so we will have plenty of these types of items available.”
“We’re continually evaluating Kiwi’s shopping habits to ensure that we’re here for New Zealanders ahead of days like Valentine’s Day. You don’t want to turn up to that date without those chocolates or bubbles, so we work hard to make sure we’ve got the right products available at the right times to celebrate those special moments.”
