From colorful flowers, to chocolate covered cherries, to a good old-fashioned dinner date, Valentine’s Day is the perfect foil to the winter time blues.

Not only is it an important holiday for couples to strengthen their bonds, it’s also vital for businesses to increase sales due to high demand for personalized gifts.

Heidi Devlin, owner of Petal Pushers Floral Company in Hometown, said online sales and phone sales have increased significantly this year.

“I do know walk-in traffic seems to be little less due to the freezing cold, but I’m hearing the weather is supposed to get warmer by end of week, so hoping foot traffic will increase by the end of the week,” Devlin said. “There’s always an increase for Valentine’s Day.”

As well as the prices, noted Devlin.

“Unfortunately, the wholesalers inflate the prices and that carries over to us; prices have stayed about the same with a slight increase,” she said. “A lot of that is due to some of the tariffs that have been put on the flowers because a lot of them come from out of the area.”

Devlin didn’t hesitate when saying roses are without question the shop’s biggest sales item for Valentine’s Day.

“Of course, everybody wants red, it’s a sign of love,” she said. “We do sell a lot of arrangements with mixed flowers.”

What’s more, Devlin said the shop makes its own soap, and added it has a couple new scents for Valentine’s Day.

In addition, she said they have a floral garden that has real pretty dried flowers across the top, as well as some of the lavender (goat milk) soap that’s available.

“People seem to gravitate towards that,” Devlin said. “The soap is a big draw for us.”

Devlin underscored the importance of Valentine’s Day for her business.

“It’s significant,” she said, noting that earlier this week the business celebrated its six-year anniversary. “We have developed a lot of ways in order to keep up with the demand.”

Devlin noted the products stay in their cooler so that they’re “nice and fresh.”

“We work ahead,” she said. “We have developed a lot of methods that we know how to keep up with the crowds.”

Devlin said they’ll arrive at the shop early on Valentine’s Day.

“We have a system where we put our delivery, where we put our pickups, (which) makes it easier for our drivers,” she said. “That will continue to allow us to continue to work on orders that came in online or overnight.”

Make no mistake: Devlin said “Our goal is to sell out.

“We sold out last year on Valentine’s Day at 10 a.m.,” she said. “I didn’t have enough to keep up with the demand.”

Romantic dinner

Can’t decide where to treat your special someone to that special Valentine’s Day meal?

Basile’s Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria in Tamaqua is taking reservations, according to owner Paola Basile.

“So with holidays, we kind of like to do seating times because it kind of controls the kitchen a little better,” Basile said. “With random reservations, it’s hard to plan your tables.”

Basile noted that holidays, such as Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, are among the busiest days of the year for the business.

“For us, for holidays we like to do reservations for seating, so that the kitchen has enough time to restock and rewarm things up for the next batch coming in. That seems to work well for us,” she said. “We don’t seem to have complaints with people waiting so long.”

Basile said that on Valentine’s Day, the restaurant typically does a condensed version of its regular menu.

“Most people (on Valentine’s Day) order dinners,” she said. “That gives us more time to concentrate on dishes that take a little longer, like steaks and lobsters.”

Basile said there will be several specials on the menu, such as dry-aged Black Angus steak, along with Chilean Sea Bass, to name a few.

She added the restaurant, which next month will celebrate 17 years, will have increased staffing on Valentine’s Day.

“We have a large staff, a large kitchen, we just keep working,” Basile said. “As the year’s progress, we kind of manage it a lot better now,” she said.

Basile noted that the business flows a little bit differently on holidays such as Valentine’s Day.

“Make reservations,” she said. “It’s important.”

Business is sure to be booming at the Bowmanstown Diner, said cook manager Michael Aniskevich, who had previously been co-owner.

“It’s a special day for couples,” Aniskevich said. “We all look forward to it.”

Aniskevich added a trend he’s noticed over his four-plus decades at the restaurant is that some couples come out the night before to celebrate.

He said both breakfast and dinner tend to be a little heavier, and there will be several specials to choose from like lobster, steak, stuffed flounder, and broiled scallops, and more desserts, such as Strawberry Shortcake.

“It’s a busy day,” Aniskevich said. “You’re going to make about almost double what you’d usually make.”

Survey gives insight

“While there are the staples like candy and flowers, Valentine’s Day is a holiday that can be celebrated a variety of ways depending on who may be your valentine,” said Rebecca Lupfer, chief merchant for the Giant company. “Overall, our survey found that customers are opting for meaningful, low-effort celebrations this year, favoring simple treats, a cozy evening at home, and thoughtful gestures. Our Giant and Martin’s stores have you covered with plenty of fresh offerings to make this Valentine’s Day extra special for you and your loved ones.”

In its annual survey, the National Retail Federation reports that consumers plan to spend a record $199.78 on Valentine’s Day gifts this year.

The best Valentine’s gift?

Giant and Martin’s customers were asked in an online survey to select which of the following — chocolate/candy, flowers, or a card — is the best Valentine’s gift. Survey respondents overwhelmingly voted with their sweet tooth as 33% prefer chocolate or candy. Flowers were a favorite for 20% and 19% chose a card. In addition, 28% of respondents choose something else, often mentioning personalized gifts, thoughtful gestures, or time together.

Giant and Martin’s stores have a variety of chocolate and candy options, both seasonal items and year-round favorites, in addition to a selection of roses, mixed flower bouquets, and fresh arrangements made right in store. Preorders are available.

So, who is the perfect Valentine?

The survey found that 62% of respondents selected a partner/spouse, followed by pets (14%), kids (12% or rising to 22% among parents), and themselves (9%).

Outside of significant others and family members, according to the retail federation, 33% of consumers plan to purchase gifts for friends and a record 35% plan to show love for their pets this year.

And how are they planning to celebrate?

The survey found that many customers prefer to stay home this year (27%, rising to 40% among parents) and 29% aren’t planning a special dinner. However, 23% of respondents are opting for someone else to take care of the meal prep with a date night out and 21% choose takeout at home.

If you’re cozying up at home, Giant and Martin’s offer plenty of freshly prepared heat and eat appetizers and entrées in addition to their online catering service which offers real-time ordering.

Hungry for chocolate covered strawberries?

This week, team members at local Giant and Martin’s stores will be dipping more than 200,000 strawberries in chocolate. It’s one of the grocer’s most popular seasonal items.

To help customers get in and out of the store quickly this week, each Giant and Martin’s store has set up a designated Sweetheart Express Checkout, reserved just for Valentine’s Day purchases, including flowers, bakery treats, cards, and candy.