Snow tempers Valentine’s Day shopping

HOLLISTON, Mass. — It’s an annual occasion some pretend not to forget -- but do, and hence the usual last-minute rush on Valentine’s Day for candy, gifts and flowers.

“It’s one of our big three,” said Nancy Thrasher, co-owner of Furlong’s Candies in Norwood, “Christmas, Easter, Valentine’s.”

But unlike the other two holidays, Valentine’s Day shoppers tend to compress their efforts into a few days.

“We’ll have guys come in at 7 o’clock tomorrow night saying, I just realized today’s Valentine’s Day,” Thrasher said.

And that trend may be especially pronounced this year, she said. “Between the weather and the Super Bowl, we’re definitely slower today than we normally would have been so I think tomorrow’s going to be even crazier.”

Furlong’s specialty this time of year: chocolate-dipped strawberries. The store expects to sell thousands by closing time on February 14th.

That trend to ‘day of’ shopping took some of the stings out of Sunday’s all-day snow for retailers, which didn’t so much mar travel as it did the desire to travel. Especially when compared with the widespread temperature readings around 60-degrees Saturday.

“The activity and the momentum and the optimism around Valentine’s Day and spring -- we definitely felt that yesterday,” said Erin Defoyd, owner of Bird and Bear Collective, a gift shop in Holliston, “And today is just definitely a different energy.”

At this point, Defoyd has gotten used to rolling with it. Bird and Bear moved into its current space a year ago this week -- but was actually born as the pandemic began. It features artisanal gifts, many created by people either laid off or who left jobs and decided to follow creative pursuits.

“We’re learning the importance of Valentine’s Day, especially after you see the flurry at Christmas and then experiencing what it looks like in January,” Defoyd said.

For many retailers, January looks bleak -- with Valentine’s Day the first opportunity after the holidays to rack up significant sales. And the National Retail Federation does expect that to happen this year -- with an estimated $23.9 billion spent through February 14th this year. That’s $2 billion more than last year and the second-highest amount on Valentine’s Day ever.

With Covid cases falling and mask restrictions easing in many places, things seemed to be looking up on Main Street -- despite the snow.

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