By Asia Samachar | India |
Young Indians are buying record amounts of roses, chocolates and hampers to celebrate “Valentine’s Week,” in another sign of increased spending and rising income levels in world’s most populous nation, reports Bloomberg.
While Feb. 14 is recognized as Valentine’s Day around the world, the week preceding it has gained popularity in India. Feb. 7 is known as Rose Day, while the 9th is associated with chocolates and 10th with teddy bears. The other days of the week are linked to romantic gestures like promises and hugs. E-commerce platforms, along with dating sites, are pushing the trend and engaging in aggressive campaigns to promote romantic products, the report added.
Indian gifting platform FNP E Retail Pvt., known as FNP.com, delivered a record 350 roses per minute ahead of Valentine’s Day, the New Delhi-based company said in an emailed statement. Food delivery platform Zomato Ltd.’s unit Blinkit dispatched 406 chocolates per minute on Feb. 9, Chief Executive Officer Albinder Dhindsa wrote in a post on X, the social network formerly known as Twitter.
“We expect at least about 25% increase in sales this year,” said Pawan Gadia, director and chief executive officer global at FNP.com, over the phone. “We started preparing six months ago as Valentine’s is a flagship event for us.”
The surge in Valentine’s Day-linked spending comes as the country’s growing middle class — particularly young adults — spend extensively on retail plaforms and dining in glitzy restaurants and cafes. About half of Indian consumers are choosing invest in experiences over purchases that have practical benefits, market research agency Mintel’s Consumer Spending Priorities 2023 report shows, according to the Bloomberg report.
The increased spending comes despite protests from ultra-right wing Hindu organizations who have in the past few years campaigned against Valentine’s Day celebrations. For now, though, many Indian consumers have side-stepped those protests
as they snap up gifts for their loved ones, it added.
“It’s an opportunity for me to express my feelings,” said Arpit Kothari, a 27-year-old finance professional who bought a bouquet of roses online for his partner of seven years. “I don’t mind spending a little amount of money.”
RELATED STORY:
Valentine’s Day: A Sikh perspective on true love (Asia Samachar, 14 Feb 2023)
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond. You can leave your comments at our website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We will delete comments we deem offensive or potentially libelous. You can reach us via WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 or email: asia.samachar@gmail.com. For obituary announcements, click here
