Lily Huynh/The Cougar
It’s that time of the year again when couples gear up for grand gestures, cute dates, and the seasonal section of every store turns bright pink and red.
While Valentine’s Day is a cute occasion, it also creates a financial incentive for companies to exploit, and consumers shouldn’t fall for it.
Romantic relationships are a very important part of life, and Valentine’s Day provides a good excuse to do something nice for a partner. Of course, there is nothing inherently wrong with this, but it’s worth reflecting on the corporate greed surrounding the holiday.
This year, according to the National Retail Federation, Americans are projected to spend a whopping $27.5 billion on Valentine’s festivities. The majority of this money will go towards things like jewelry, flowers and candy.
While these common romantic gestures are a sweet sentiment, sellers often raise their prices on these items to justify stocking special Valentine’s-themed products. This trend has grown since the COVID-19 epidemic, with supply chain disruptions driving costs up every year since.
Compounding the issue is a mass societal pressure among couples to give gifts. Due to this, it’s common to neglect the price tag on an item just for the sake of getting something at all, especially if one waits until the last minute.
Of course, this isn’t to say couples shouldn’t indulge in Valentine’s Day. Small gestures and gifts are a great way to remind someone that they’re cared for, and a night out or a sweet letter can mean just as much as an expensive present.
The real issue lies in the holiday’s commercialization. Beyond the problem of marked-up expenses, companies capitalizing on the holiday creates inauthentic, short-lived gestures that tend to lack meaning.
When given the choice between something like an evening out or a home-cooked meal and a cheap, pink colored box of chocolates, most will choose the option that takes less effort and time.
Again, this isn’t necessarily the buyer’s fault, but it is something that companies feed off of in order to take advantage of the average consumer. Thus, the fees customers are paying for those heart-shaped boxes and bouquets of roses will only continue to rise.
All of this begs the question: What should consumers do to enjoy Valentine’s Day without being preyed upon by corporations?
For starters, reevaluate what romantic gestures should look like. Forgetting until the last minute and grabbing something small on the way home is one thing, but it pays to put time into planning something that would really make a partner happy.
There are a variety of date spots throughout Houston and on campus that couples can spend time at, and even a simple night at home can be very meaningful.
Expressing love for one’s partner comes in many forms, and it’s the thought that counts more than the money put into a gift. A little effort goes a long way, and instead of buying into corporate greed, take a chance this year to find something different.
Parker Hodges-Beggs is a journalism sophomore who can be reached at [email protected]
