Valentine's Day in Nova Scotia is good business for retailers
Canadian household debt might be high and the slumping Canadian dollar might be a headache for retailers, but when it comes to Valentine's Day, Nova Scotians don't hesitate to open their wallets.
Whether people are buying a card or a bouquet of flowers, many retailers and small businesses hope to cash in on the worldwide celebration of love.
Here are some of the go-to, can't-fail classic love gifts during Cupid's busiest day.
Flowers
According to floral designer Neville MacKay from My Mother's Bloomers, Valentine's Day and flowers go hand in hand.
"Valentine's Day is our biggest one day sale of fresh flowers," he said.
MacKay said the only thing that can spoil the day is a huge storm because it makes deliveries a headache. He has buckets of red roses waiting in his fridges.
"Red is one of the colours of love!" he said.
The falling loonie has affected the Canadian floral industry, he explains.
"Of course we have to watch the loonie because flowers are purchased for the most part in U.S. dollars, so we did see a bit of an increase."
MacKay said a dozen red roses will set you back $80.
Chocolates
Next to Christmas and Easter, Valentine's Day is the third busiest day for chocolate sales.
Rousseau Chocolatier specializes in handmade chocolates and their best seller is the Wild Rose.
"It is one of our signature chocolates for Valentine's Day because it's made from hand picked rose petals from the Annapolis Valley," said Nathalie Morin, who owns the company with her chocolate-making husband Julien Rousseau-Dumarcet.
How much will chocolate love cost? A box of handmade chocolates is $30.
Lingerie
It seems love and lingerie go together, so Feb. 14 is a retail bonanza for lingerie sales.
Lily Dunn runs Lily's Lingerie. She said red — the colour of love and passion — is a favourite at this time of year; so a wall of red bras and panties are in full view.
"It's a great time of year for us because men buy for their women and women buy for their men so to speak," she said.
"Even if they've been married forever, it's nice to see the spark coming because it's Valentine's Day and the reminder that, oh yeah, there is love."
Prices vary widely for a sexy nightie, but you could easily drop $200 for a matching set.
Hotels and Inns
Since Valentine's Day falls on a long weekend many people are booking a Nova Scotian weekend away.
Oceanstone Seaside Resort in Indian Harbour is almost fully booked, according to Troy Dawson, the resort operations manager.
"It's a huge bonus for the month of February which is generally a really slow period in the hospitality industry. It's the perfect weekend for a romantic weekend," he said.
Depending on the room you book, a romantic night away can cost between $99 and $170.
