Shoppers in Swindon are feeling loved-up this Valentine’s Day as new research shows they’ll splash out more than £6.2m on gifts, wining and dining, and mini-breaks.
A survey of 2,000 people by British Land, co-owners of Orbital, found that eight in ten (82%) Swindon residents will celebrate Valentine's Day, with almost half (46%) planning to treat their loved ones the weekend prior.
With this in mind, Orbital has dubbed the weekend of 10 and 11 February the ‘weekend of wooing’ as Swindon’s retailers and restaurants were hit by a surge in visitors.
But Swindon love birds expecting to be woken up with a romantic breakfast in bed may be disappointed as just 14 per cent say they’ll be making breakfast in bed this year, with almost a third (30%) preferring to put their culinary skills to practice for an evening meal.
When it comes to choosing the perfect Valentine’s gift, it seems Swindon residents are hopeless romantics, as traditional presents - greetings cards (66%), flowers (24%) and chocolates (26%) - remain among the most popular ways to say ‘I love you’.
And it’s not just other halves that will be treated this year either as, in some cases, children (8%), best friends (8%), and mums (2%) can expect to receive a Valentine’s gift too.
Jamie Turner, centre manager at Orbital, said: “Valentine’s Day is a busy time for our retailers as shoppers look to celebrate and treat their loved ones. With almost half of residents likely to be celebrating the weekend prior to Valentine’s Day this year, we’re looking forward to spreading the love and helping people choose the perfect gift."
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