How McDonald’s and Aesop are leaning into whimsy for Valentine’s Day 2026

Valentine’s Day in the US is set to be bigger than ever. 

This year, consumer spending in the US is expected to reach more than US$29 billion, with shoppers budgeting nearly US$200 for gifts – a new record. 

“Much of that growth is driven by middle- and high-income shoppers who are expanding their gift lists to include friends, co-workers and even pets in addition to loved ones,” explained the National Retail Federation’s VP of consumer insights, Katherine Cullen. 

Pets, in particular, are emerging as one of the biggest winners. Approximately 35 per cent of this year’s total Valentine’s Day spending is expected to go toward pet gifts, generating US$2.1 billion – up from US$1.7 billion in 2025. 

That 23.5 per cent year-over-year growth far outpaces the overall 5.8 per cent increase, making pets the fastest-growing gift category.

But pets aren’t the only beneficiaries of this expanded approach to Valentine’s gifting. More consumers than ever will also be shopping for themselves.

Melissa Minkow, global director of retail strategy at CI&T, told Inside Retail that the shift away from romantic marketing toward self-care and pet parenting has been underway for some time. 

“It’s very smart of brands to move this way, considering the singles population continues to grow, and because 65 per cent of consumers told us they expect prices to go up in the next few years,” she said. “It’s a lot easier to justify self-spend than it is gifting!”

Shopping patterns for Valentine’s Day 2026 

According to NRF, which released the data, outside of significant others and family members, one-third (33 per cent) of consumers plan to purchase gifts for friends (US$2.4 billion). Another 27 per cent will purchase gifts for their children’s classmates and teachers (US$2.2 billion), while 21 per cent will buy gifts for co-workers (US$1.7 billion).

Data from Lightspeed Commerce, the Canada-based cloud-native POS and e-commerce software provider, reinforces that shift. This year, more consumers are moving away from pressure-driven gifting and instead using the holiday as a moment for self-care and self-gifting.

“Self-gifting is something we’ve been tracking for several years, but its normalisation has accelerated more recently,” explained John Shapiro, Lightspeed Commerce’s chief product and technology officer. 

“While the pandemic helped legitimise buying for yourself, what we’re seeing now goes beyond that moment. When 27 per cent of consumers say they’ve already bought themselves a Valentine’s Day gift, and 13 per cent explicitly identify as self-gifters, it points to a behaviour that’s become socially accepted rather than situational.”

Shapiro added that the shift is especially pronounced among younger consumers, particularly Gen Z.

“That suggests this isn’t a short-term adjustment, but part of a longer-term shift in how consumers approach seasonal spending and personal reward.”

Among those who self-gift for Valentine’s Day, Lightspeed Commerce’s data showed that this year’s Valentine’s Day purchasing patterns reflected classic self-care habits. 

Among self-gifters, classic self-care categories dominate. Over a third (35 per cent) buy clothing or accessories for themselves, while a quarter (25 per cent) purchase beauty or self-care products. Nearly a third (32 per cent) treat themselves to restaurant meals or takeout, and 13 per cent book spa treatments or massages – suggesting premium self-care services are capturing spending that might once have gone toward traditional romantic gifts.

Overall, NRF’s data revealed that candy remains the most popular Valentine’s Day gift, for singles and couples alike, with 56 per cent of consumers planning to purchase candy.

Other top gifts include flowers (41 per cent), greeting cards (41 per cent), an evening out (39 per cent) and jewellery (25 per cent). However, shoppers are expected to spend the most – a total of US$7 billion – on jewellery, followed by US$6.3 billion on an evening out, US$3.5 billion on clothing and US$3.1 billion on flowers.

2026 marks a fanciful Valentine’s Day season 

In addition to trends such as self-care and pet gifting, another noticeable trend has taken hold of the Valentine’s Day season this year: whimsy. 

Multiple companies, ranging from CPG brands to fast-food chains, are getting into the lovey-dovey spirit with intriguing IRL activations leading up to and on February 14.

From February 6 to February 8, the luxury Australian skincare and fragrance brand Aesop offered shoppers an exclusive, in-store opportunity to commission bespoke poems from local poets at select US stores.

On February 10, McDonald’s offered an online-only, limited-edition kit free of charge as part of its holiday-season promotional efforts. 

“To be known is to be loved, and we know our fans love pairing our crispy Chicken McNuggets with their favourite caviar. Inspired by this perfect match, we’re dropping our first-ever McNugget Caviar kits featuring premium Baerii Sturgeon caviar… After all, nothing says ‘ILY’ quite like a limited drop from McDonald’s just in time for your Valentine’s Day plans.”

On Valentine’s Day, several perfume brands, including Cirque du Soleil Parfums and Snif, teamed up to sponsor a rather fragrant dating event.

The event, dubbed Smells Like Love fragrance dating show, is taking place in New York City and will be hosted by Emma Vernon, fragrance influencer and host of the Perfume Room podcast. 

As contestants search for love through scent, perfume brands like Cirque du Soleil Parfums and Snif are stepping up to remind consumers that fragrance is also a tool of self-love, as well as attraction. 

To capture the hearts of consumers this season, retail brands need to emphasise the joy that comes along with gifting, to oneself and to others, with whimsical activations and intriguing products. 

Further reading: How brands like Béis and Levi’s leveraged the 2026 Super Bowl with IRL events

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