Fresh Departments Expect Big Valentine's Sales

LAKELAND, Fla. — Valentine's Day can mean huge sales for supermarket fresh departments. Floral sales are second only to Mother's Day, and in-store bakeries see Valentine's Day as excellent for cake sales.

At Publix Super Markets, Lakeland, Fla., Valentine's Day is the second biggest sales day for cupcakes, with Halloween being the biggest, Shannon Patten, Publix spokesperson, told SN. Patten said, too, that Valentine's Day falling on a weekday is usually a boon to bakery sales.

"Because Valentine's Day falls during the week, we expect to see an increase in customers buying Valentine's Day-themed items for school parties and friendly gatherings," she said.

Other retailers said they get better sales when V-Day falls on the weekend.

"The weekend is by far better, just because the traffic is better," said Robert Breault, bakery director for Pennington Quality Market, Pennington, N.J.

But when it comes to flowers, several floral directors said V-Day falling on Tuesday is just fine. One floral manager said that "on the weekend, there are too many other options. Dinner out, going away for the weekend. But when the holiday falls on a weekday, with everybody working or going to school, it narrows the choices." And flowers are apt to win out.

See more about Valentine's Day in-store bakery trends here and in the Fresh Market feature in this week's print edition of SN.