Romance is in the air and new research suggests it’s not just human partners that benefit from the season of love.
Pet experts Jollyes surveyed 1,180 UK pet owners and found that Brits are considering spending more on their pets than they are on their significant others this love season.
The survey unveiled that 30.4% of UK pet owners have previously bought their pets a Valentine’s gift. The findings are even more remarkable considering a 2024 GroupOn survey suggests that only two-thirds of UK consumers buy gifts for their significant others.
The survey found that dog owners were the most likely to buy their furry friends a Valentine’s gift, with 33.7% planning to indulge their companions. Cats followed closely behind, with nearly 1 in 3 planning a special surprise. 25% of participants owning birds shared that they would also purchase a Valentine’s gift. Unfortunately for fish, though, less than 10% of owners will be buying something special for them for the International Day of Love.
The pet study revealed the average cost of a Valentine’s present for pets is £21, however, 15% of pet owners shared that they would be happy to spend up to £50 on a gift for their pets – surpassing the £32 cost of the average Valentine’s gift for a significant other. Most pet owners (57%) said they would typically spend under £10, but 1.6% said they would spend even more than £50.
Jollyes even crunched the numbers and compared the cost of the average present for pets with the number of UK households that own pets, found that Brits are expected to spend an eye-watering £104 million* on pampering their pets this Valentine’s.
Millennials are most likely to spend money on their pets
According to the survey, millennials are most likely to spend money on pets over Valentine’s (unsurprising, when you consider the Consumer Affairs study that revealed millennials love their pets more than family). Not only that, but the most popular gift among those participants falling into the ‘millennial’ age bracket is pet outfits, clothing and accessories.
Men were also more likely to buy their pets a gift on 14th February than women (34.8% vs 26.8%).
The most pet-obsessed regions that are spoiling their pets for Valentines
Geographically, pet pampering varies across the UK, with Greater London leading the trend at 48.3%, followed by Belfast (39%) and the West Midlands (34.9%).
However, regions such as the South East (21.3%) and Scotland (26.9%) showed comparatively lower rates of pet gift-giving, possibly indicating regional differences in pet-centric celebrations. –
Phil Turner-Naylor, Head of Marketing at Jollyes comments on their findings, “Our latest study reaffirms that pets hold a special place in our hearts as cherished family members deserving of affection, even on Valentine’s Day. After a surge of pet owners purchasing Christmas gifts for their companions, it’s only right we see so many more pet owners expressing appreciation for their furry friends with thoughtful gifts for other occasions, too.”
