UK retailers are going big on Galentine’s Day, splashing out four times more on products than they did at this point last year, according to new data from independent shops across the country.
Brands are racing to keep up. Nearly three times as many Galentine’s-themed products have been launched compared with a year ago, figures from online wholesale marketplace Faire show. Traditionally marked on 13 February – the day before Valentine’s Day – the once niche celebration of female friendship and platonic love is fast becoming a retail force in its own right.
On Faire’s platform, searches and product launches tied to “best friend” gifting have jumped 90% year-on-year. “Self-love” products are up 49%, while “treat yourself” items have climbed 39%. Even four-legged friends are getting in on the action: sales of Valentine’s gifts for dogs have soared 173% as more Brits opt to spoil their pets.
Affordable, playful presents are leading the charge. Four of the top 10 Galentine’s and Valentine’s products sold through Faire are priced under £10, with novelty keyrings, themed board games and aromatherapy bath salts outperforming traditional romantic staples.
For Libby Ewart, owner of online partyware and gift retailer The Box Party, it’s the cheeky, low-cost tokens that are flying off the shelves. A tiny ceramic lobster emblazoned with a cute slogan has outsold every other Valentine’s item she stocks, prompting her to quickly reorder similar novelty pieces as demand continues to surge.
Shopkeepers say the tone of Valentine’s is shifting, particularly among younger shoppers. Kate Tompsett, owner of Happy & Glorious in Canterbury, says Gen Z customers are reshaping the occasion – buying candles, jewellery, dried flowers, and wellness treats for friends, and even requesting handwritten notes to be hand-delivered around the Kent city.
“Valentine’s had started to feel less important, but it suddenly feels meaningful again,” she said, noting that shoppers are prioritising thoughtful gestures over grand romantic tradition.
Others report that January and February have become key months for cosy, thoughtful gifting, as customers lean into self-care and affordable indulgences after Christmas. Charlotte Brennan, founder of Bloom & Brew in Ormskirk, says journals, handmade cards, merino wool socks, dried flowers, and fragrance have been her standout sellers this season.
There are now nearly 25,000 Valentine’s and Galentine’s products listed by UK brands on Faire, with thousands added in the run-up to February as independents place bigger bets on friendship-led gifting.
Charlotte Broadbent, UK general manager for Faire, commented: “Love looks different now, and so does Valentine’s. It’s no longer centred only on romance or confined to a single week. What we’re seeing on Faire is that the savviest retailers are treating it like an evergreen category – planning months ahead, spotting trends early, and building collections around friendship, self-love and solo moments that sell year-round.”
PHOTO CREDIT: Fond Shop
