UK retailers set for Valentine's Day boost amid growing role of AI in shopping inspiration
Valentine’s Day spending in the UK is set to rise by 12% to £1.6 billion. Research (carried out across 1,000 UK shoppers) from retail and shopper marketing agency, Savvy, suggests all retail categories will grow, with the strongest performances coming from non-alcoholic drinks, beauty products, clothing and flowers.
42% of Brits plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day in 2026. 68% are prepared to trade up to premium food or drink for the occasion, and 66% are happy to spend more to make the day feel special. However, this appetite for premium does not come at the expense of value. A matching 68% will actively look for discounts or offers on food and drink in the run-up to February 14th.
HFSS regulations
This year’s Valentine’s Day is the first major seasonal event to be influenced by the new HFSS regulations, which ban less healthy food products from paid for online advertising and introduce a 9pm TV watershed.
Alastair Lockhart, Insight Director at Savvy, comments: “Chocolate is a major Valentine’s category, so this represents the first major test of the new rules.”
“Our online retail audit reveals that brands have quickly adapted by leveraging distinctive brand assets, such as colours, logos and broader cues, without directly featuring restricted products - and this approach appears to be working well, with our research finding that very few shoppers notice any change. For affected brands, these new restrictions mean a greater emphasis on owned channels and in-store media, and a re-think of how paid-for digital activity is executed.”
Photo credit: Unsplash.
At home occasions dominate
For most Valentine’s shoppers, the occasion remains an at-home event rather than a night out. 77% plan to celebrate at home with their partner, and 73% say they will buy a special meal or drinks. When asked what they would most like to see from their main supermarket in the run-up to Valentine’s Day, 49% will be looking for the ever popular Valentine’s meal deal. Broader expectations of retailers include 35% wanting ideas for Valentine’s gifts and 32% seeking a dedicated Valentine’s Day aisle to make shopping easier.
From Galentine’s to pet gifting and local shopping
Valentine’s Day continues to evolve beyond its traditional focus on romantic couples, with demand broadening from Galentine’s celebrations to pet gifting, and shoppers increasingly open to exploring different routes to purchase.
65% would rather buy gifts from smaller or local retailers, pointing to opportunities for independent businesses and increasingly popular local markets. Sustainability also features strongly, with 61% of Valentine’s shoppers saying they intend to buy sustainable gifts where possible.
Personalisation, social and AI reshape gift discovery
Personalisation remains a major draw, with six in ten shoppers planning to buy a personalised gift. While online specialists dominate this space, personalisation is increasingly entering the mainstream, with major retailers expanding their emotional and bespoke gifting offers. Tesco’s Marketplace offering of personalised gifts is one example of how major retailers are exploring more emotional and meaningful gift propositions.
Digital influence continues to grow. 48% of Valentine’s shoppers say they are likely to buy a product they see on social media, while 41% expect to use AI tools to help choose gifts, from a standing start just a couple of years ago.
Lockhart concludes: “AI is rapidly reshaping how shoppers search for gift inspiration, often introducing them to brands and routes to market they may not have previously considered. As a result, retailers and brands need to think differently about how they appear in AI driven discovery, how they show up and how they can close the sale. The rule book is being rewritten.”
RTIH AI in Retail Awards
Brarista, IBM Consulting, Foundit!, Quorso, Vusion, Sensei, Reckon.ai, EE, Walkbase, Globant, Riskified, and Goddiva were among the winners at the RTIH AI in Retail Awards, sponsored by VenHub Global, 3D Cloud, EdTech Innovation Hub, and Retail Technology Show.
Our 2026 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The Barbican in Central London on Thursday, 29th January, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Lucy Porter.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “According to Amazon’s Andy Jassy: AI is a once in a lifetime reinvention of everything we know, and the largest technology transformation since the cloud.”
“Whether that’s overstating it or not, we're certainly seeing an increasing number of innovative, potentially game changing developments in this space across both traditional and digital retail spaces. And that is reflected in tonight's finalists, who are boosting customer experiences and tackling retailers' painpoints across the likes of physical stores, online, omnichannel, supply chain, and payments.”
“To quote one of our judges: I have to admit, judging these awards was so difficult. So many that would have been worthy winners. And great to see how AI has moved firmly into delivery mode. Firmly into delivering for customers and driving huge innovation.”
Congratulations to our 2026 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended our Thursday, 29th January gathering.
Stay tuned for an indepth review of the awards ceremony in the next edition of RTIH magazine.
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