With a 37 per cent mobile shopping growth has become one of the key shopping events for Middle Eastern consumers. Mobile shopping has seen significant growth in the region, with more than 37 per cent of Valentine’s Day sales being made via mobile devices. In Saudi Arabia, mobile purchases accounted for more than half of all orders, while in the UAE, this figure reached 41 per cent.
Flowwow, a UAE-based gifting marketplace and Admitad, a partnership marketing platform, have unveiled key Valentine’s Day market trends in the MENA region based on learnings from online sales during the Valentine’s Day season, February 12-15 in 2024. The study reveals that the UAE, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia are some of the top spenders on Valentine’s gifts in the region.
Valentine’s Day is currently topping the searches on google trends in the UAE and MENA, where customers are preparing gifts for their loved ones.
Slava Bogdan, CEO of Flowwow, said, “The UAE and MENA region stand out for their deep-rooted culture of expressing love through meaningful gestures. This year, we predicted a significant 15 per cent rise in gifting sales for Valentine’s Day, one of the biggest shopping peaks of the year, with a notable 10 per cent increase specifically in the confectionery category.”
Rising Valentine’s Day trends: more gifts for men and Gen Z gamers join the celebration
Gifts for young mothers made up 9 per cent of sales, and men were 1.5 times more likely to receive car accessories and electronics 20 per cent. Generation Z (Gen Z) is shifting towards gifting digital beauty items in video games, like CS:GO skins and DOTA 2 Arcanas, driven by a 32 per cent increase in online game sales.
Fashion and cosmetics were among the top choices in the UAE: the fashion category led at 25 per cent, followed by electronics at 18.5 per cent and home and garden at 15.5 per cent, with beauty products making up 12 per cent of purchases.
Demand for these categories grew in 2024 and is expected to increase more, with fashion and electronics projected to rise by 9 per cent in 2025. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia saw an unexpected Valentine’s Day trend, with men receiving more gifts than ever, particularly sports gear, tools, and car accessories, which saw the largest growth.
Valentine’s Day remains the biggest driver of flower sales, with purchases surging by 550 per cent and revenue rising by 635 per cent compared to the average month, according to Flowwow. The MENA region is experiencing a growing trend in the confectionery and bakery categories, following the international popularity of candies (56 per cent of all purchases) for Valentine’s Day gifts.
Bodgan continues, “As long as people love, the gifting business will continue to thrive – especially on occasions like Valentine’s Day, where expressions of affection matter most”,
Valentine’s Day in the MENA region will continue to see growth in online gifting sales, with mobile purchases, luxury gifts, and floral arrangements leading the way. As trends evolve, the demand for a wider variety of gifts, from flowers to fashion and gaming items, is expected to grow in 2025. The UAE and Saudi Arabia remain at the forefront of this shift, reflecting the tradition of love and giving, prominent among all cultures of the region.
According to Flowwow and Admitad experts, the proportion of mobile purchases for Valentine’s Day gifts is expected to increase further by 3 per cent in 2025.
