RISING costs reshaped Valentine’s Day spending this year, as higher flower prices lifted earnings for Cebu vendors while surging cocoa prices and inflation in Japan prompted many women to scale back on chocolate gifts, separate reports showed.
In Cebu City, prices of blooms climbed in several stalls inside Carbon Public Market as Feb. 14 approached, driven by strong demand, higher supplier costs and limited supply of certain varieties.
Popular flowers such as roses, chrysanthemums, tulips, sunflowers and daisies were sold at higher rates compared to regular days. Roses were priced between P150 and P1,000 depending on quantity and quality, while chrysanthemums ranged from P180 to P650. Tulips were sold for about P600 to P800. Single flower items, including artificial flowers, cost around P100 to P150, while bouquets were typically priced from P350 to P800.
Despite the increase, vendors described Valentine’s Day as one of their peak seasons, often generating higher income. Many sellers said they earned more this year than in 2025, though some noted it was still too early to determine final sales figures until after the day’s rush. They added that price hikes are common during high-demand occasions such as Valentine’s Day, Holy Week, All Souls’ Day and local fiestas.
Japan chocolate buying slows
In contrast, higher raw material costs weighed on chocolate purchases in Japan. A survey by market research firm Intage Inc. found that 67.5 percent of women buying chocolates for Valentine’s Day were affected by rising cocoa bean prices and broader consumer inflation.
The mid-January survey, conducted among about 2,500 female respondents aged 15 to 79 across Japan, showed that 42.8 percent had no plans to give chocolates, up four percentage points from a year earlier.
The average Valentine’s Day budget, mainly for family members and self-purchases, rose to 4,943 yen, up 369 yen from last year. Of those citing a higher budget, 63.6 percent pointed to increased chocolate prices, while 39.8 percent attributed it to general price hikes and the weaker yen.
Among roughly 1,450 women who said they would buy chocolates, 33.7 percent said they opted for lower-priced items due to price increases. Another 24.6 percent planned to reduce the number of items purchased, while 18.9 percent intended to shop at stores offering cheaper options. Smaller shares said they would switch to other sweets, cut back on self-purchases, stop giving chocolates altogether or make homemade alternatives.
An Intage official said inflation and rising cocoa prices had already influenced consumer behavior last year, but this year’s survey showed an even stronger impact of chocolate price surges on buying decisions. (Jean Llaneta and Jasten Arrogante, BiPSU interns/PNA)