Valentine’s Day cards and long-lasting foil balloons are Tiger Feet’s top earners
February is the month of love with Valentine’s Day fast approaching and, with £2.1billion spent to mark the Day in 2024, wholesaler Tiger Feet is keen to spread that loving feeling, instigating a PR campaign to get the hearts beating.
The press release issued widely to the media shares the shape and scope of the first spring season event, detailing how around 40million people in the UK celebrate Valentine’s Day and greeting cards allow folk to share their love without breaking the bank – for Tiger Feet, cards were its biggest-generating category last year across its extensive range including partyware and giftware.
“Expressing how you feel with words is a timeless gesture of love, which is why gifting a card on Valentine’s Day remains a popular choice,” the company’s CEO Akhtar Zahid commented. “With a wide range of cards available, from options ranging from sentimental messages to funny alternatives, cards continue to play a pivotal role in celebrating love.
“We’re also seeing a trend of more couples opting for no present pacts, increasing the retail opportunity for the sales of cards, highlighting the importance of stocking a good range of Valentine’s Day cards.”
And Tiger Feet anticipates the growth of foil balloons for Valentine’s Day to continue, having increased by 48% between 2019 and 2024, with Akhtar explaining they’ve become a Valentine’s staple as the float time lasts longer than flowers.
He added: “With more people sharing their special moments online, whether the foil balloons are used for romantic decorations or as a standalone gift, they stand out and are impressive which is appealing for social media posts.”
With a shift in gifting to affordable, practical yet still sentimental items, soft toys were the wholesaler’s second largest revenue-generating category last year across its eight sites in Belfast, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Dublin, Gateshead, Manchester and Nottingham, having seen sales rise by 86% since 2019, and artificial roses in acetate sold four times more units than the next bestselling product last year.
As well as cards and balloons, Tiger Feet is offering a host of thoughtful yet budget-friendly gifts from cuddly companions and faux flower options, and other products that are perfect for retailers creating bundled gift sets.
It’s not all about the romantic partners either, as Valentine’s Day is growing from being just about couples to expanding into celebrating with pets and friends too, as Akhtar explained: “We’re seeing more people in the UK spending money on pampering their pets on Valentine’s Day. Another area that has seen an increase in popularity is Galentine’s Day, where friends come together and share their love.
“Retailers should consider this wider consumer desire for Valentine’s Day celebration beyond the traditional romantic gestures within their Valentine’s Day stock and marketing.”
