Love is blooming across Cork this Valentine's Day

Love is blooming across Cork as sweethearts express their adoration with flowers.

Cork florist, Stacy O’Neill welcomed the Valentine’s Day surge, claiming, “all the Cork men are madly in love.” 

A new report by AIB examined the spending habits of Irish romantics showing that spending in florists increases 295% on Valentine’s Day.

The report shows spending in florists by men increased 492% with the average spend per transaction in flower shops measured at €50 on February 14.

“We have had some women, but it is mainly men that we see coming in. It’s probably 99.9% males that are coming in to make orders with us for Valentine’s,” owner of Shandon Flowers, Stacy O’Neill confirmed.

Having sold out of Valentine’s bouquets and opening especially on Sunday to take orders, the Cork florist can confirm that love is truly in the air.

“We have had a very busy Valentine’s so far. It’s absolutely amazing to have that boost. Especially in February, it is very badly needed. Florists really need the peak seasons like Valentine’s and Mother’s Day because it does level off and drop in the summer,” she said welcoming the boost as the current cost of living crisis effects businesses across the city.

“We definitely need these peak periods to see us through. We tend to trade fairly heavy for six months and then it’s a tough six months after that. Like any business there are pits and peaks. It is brilliant to get the , especially when you are a small local business. It means the world to get the from the people of Cork.” 

The AIB report shows that men spent 65% more on Valentine’s Day compared with the same day the previous week, while women spent 20% more.

According to Ms O’Neill, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day remain the busiest periods for florists, with lots of work going on behind the scenes.

“There is a lot of preparation that goes into what we do, its not just the pretty flowers that you see. There is an awful lot of preparation that comes with it, with boxes and ribbons. There is conditioning too, the flowers to be minded when they come in by feeding, watering and monitoring them. You have to make sure they are top notch going out and there is a lot of work in it behind the scenes.” 

She continued: “All of our drivers are on the road since 8am this morning. The drivers start early to beat the traffic and to try and catch the mums going to work. We just want everyone to enjoy Valentine’s Day and that they get their flowers early so they can compare notes once they get into work. For the rest of the day, we are trying to serve the last-minute stragglers that come and help them to pick out something nice.” 

According to the figures compiled anonymously from 1.7 million card transactions on St Valentine’s Day last year, the AIB report also found that spending in restaurants increased 83%, while pubs were 58% busier.

In addition to flowers, jewellery is the most expensive with gift given on the day of love with individuals spending an average of €140. Hotels are next with people spending €110, while the number of transactions jumps by one third.

“Occasions like Valentine’s Day provide a unique insight into the spending habits of people in Ireland and can help both customers to plan their spending, and businesses to plan and meet their needs," said Sean Jevens, chief digital officer at AIB.

"AIB’s Valentine’s Day spending data shows restaurants, pubs, hotels, florists and jewellers all experience an increase in spending at certain times of the day."