Valentine’s Day expected to give boost to sales

ANKARA

Both online orders and sales at stores during the week when the Valentine’s Day is celebrated, are expected to increase strongly, according to the representatives from the retail industry.

Retailers are offering discounts for a variety of gifts, such as jewelry, cosmetics, textile, apparels, consumer electronics, and watches as the Valentine’s Day is normally the busiest period in the month of February for many stores.

The boost to sales due to the Valentine’s Day is not as big as the impact of the Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, but still it is important for the retail industry, said Sinan Öncel, the president of the United Brands’ Association (BMD).

“We do not conduct research focused on the Valentine’s Day, but we have observed in the previous years that the sales of jewelry, electronic goods and cosmetics soar during this period. Flower sales, restaurant and hotel bookings leap nearly 100 percent on Feb.14,” he said.

Öncel expects Valentine’s Day-related shopping to increase sales in the organized retail sector between 20 to 25 percent.

E-commerce platforms, online sales also benefit greatly from this special occasion, according to Seyhun Özkara, from e-commerce assembly of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB).

The Valentine’s Day-related sales account make up of some 40 percent of e-commerce volume in January, Özkara said.

Özkara forecast a 35 percent increase in online orders compared to January, adding that many SMEs are running Valentine’s Day sales on accessories, cosmetics, and apparel.