Valentine’s Day Spending Up

A flower shop in East El Paso spent all day Monday getting ready for Valentine’s Day. Employees of Debbie’s Bloomers, at 1580 George Dieter Dr., were arranging flowers, blowing up balloons and taking orders over the phone.

Manager Marisa Guerrero said they’ve seen an increase in business this holiday compared to the last few years.

“Last year, our big sellers were the small arrangements. This year, people are going big,” said Guerrero.

The store manager said they’re seeing larger arrangements flying off the shelves.

“People are buying more than, say, a dozen roses. They’re buying 20 or 24 roses, or even 36 or 42,” Guerrero said. “So we’re definitely seeing that people are spending more than they used to.”

The business at Debbie’s Bloomers is reflective of the trend across the nation, according to the National Retail Federation. The organization’s latest survey shows that consumers are expected to spend more this Valentine’s Day than in the last 10 years. The NRF found that shoppers will spend nearly $18 billion, with those celebrating the holiday spending on average $126. That’s up 8.5-percent from last year.

“It does seem like they’re making up for a couple years where, yeah, things were tight,” Guerrero said. “People had to make sacrifices, and flowers is one of the places where people sacrificed.”

The manager of Debbie’s Bloomers added that sales are up also because Valentine’s Day lands during the week, which means husbands and boyfriends are delivering gifts to their loved one’s workplace.

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