You’ve made it through the chaos of peak, and now January is upon us, which can only mean one thing: Love is in the air! Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, representing an excellent opportunity to re-engage customers and set the tone for repeat purchasing in Q1.

56% of Americans plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year, and while candy, flowers, and jewelry get the spotlight, gifting has expanded well beyond romantic partners. Consumers are buying for friends, coworkers, teachers, even pets, at nearly the same rate.

What does this mean for retailers? Valentine’s Day in 2026 is much more than just couples and candlelit dinners; there’s opportunities for all kinds of brands to share the love. 

Here are our top Valentine’s Day marketing ideas to inspire your campaigns this year.

Get the timing right

Before we dive into specific campaign ideas, a quick note on timing.

According to our data from Valentine’s Day 2025, there are three shopping peaks in the February V-Day build-up to be aware of: 

February 1st: As February begins, the most prepared shoppers complete their gift purchases early.

February 8th: Order volumes peak just under a week before Valentine’s Day, as shoppers place orders for timely delivery.

February 14–15th: Procrastinators drive a final surge in last-minute purchases, with February 15th and 14th recording the second- and third-highest order volumes of the period, respectively.

Our advice:

• Launch campaigns 10-14 days ahead of February 14th to reach early planners who complete purchases as soon as February begins.
• Schedule a key SMS reminder around one week out to align with the largest order-volume peak, in line with delivery and click-and-collect cutoffs.
• Plan for a final push across February 14-15th to capture last-minute shoppers, particularly with Valentine’s Day falling on a Saturday in 2026 and driving a full weekend of elevated discovery and conversion.
• Use smart segmentation to suppress customers who have already purchased from earlier sends, or repurpose them for retargeting and upsell opportunities (keep reading to see how Emma Bridgewater did exactly that).

Make it personal

Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to form a deeper understanding of your customers and set the stage for a stronger relationship down the line.

Remember that Valentine’s Day can be a sensitive time, so offering customers a straightforward way to opt-out is a smart move to improve both trust and deliverability. 

But for a richer understanding of your customers, you might also use Valentine’s Day to gather information like:

• Whether they’re shopping for themselves or someone else
• If they’re just browsing or have a gift in mind
• Their relationship status
• Their anniversary date, so you can send future anniversary emails

This data can be used immediately to create personalized experiences that demand attention. For example, putting self-shoppers into a “treat yourself” flow, or directing those that are just browsing to a gift guide.

Take a modern approach

In 2026, Valentine’s Day isn’t just about romance.

Shoppers are increasingly using it as an opportunity to show love for family, friends, and even pets. And for some audiences, a playful or slightly subversive “anti-Valentine’s” angle may feel more authentic than traditional heart-and-rose imagery.

The key is alignment: choose a perspective that feels natural for your brand and mirrors how your customers actually celebrate.

Galentine’s Day (February 13th) is growing more and more popular by the year, so why not lean into celebrating female friendship? For example:

• A dedicated Galentine’s sale
• A Galentine’s giveaway with two prizes - one for them, and one for their bestie
• Buy-one-get-one offers
• Refer-a-friend incentives

Re-engage previous shoppers

You’ve likely picked up a whole host of new suitors over peak season, and Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to tempt them back.

Segmenting by prior behavior allows you to deliver messaging that feels personal rather than promotional, so make sure you have a plan for your key audiences. For example:

• Last year’s Valentine’s shoppers: Remind them you’re still a great match
• Browsers who didn’t convert: Nudge them with a gift guide or limited-time incentive
• One-time purchasers: Reintroduce your brand with a low-friction perk like free shipping or a small discount

In practice: Emma Bridgewater

In this campaign, Emma Bridgewater targeted two segments: customers who had already shopped during the current Valentine’s period, and those who purchased around Valentine’s Day the previous year.

Sent at 8am on February 14th, the emails:

• Directly referenced that the shopper has purchased before in both the subject line (💌 Treat yourself again this Valentine’s Day) and the copy.
• Leaned into the self-love angle 
• Went all in on V-day branding, from the discount code (LOVE14) to the hero image. 

Spotlight opportunities to customize

Customization adds tangible value and makes gifts feel unique, essential for Valentine’s shoppers. Options like engraving and monogramming not only increase perceived value but can also drive higher conversion and order value. If you offer these services, Valentine’s is the perfect time to spotlight them.

In practice: Annoushka

Fine jewelry brand Annoushka put their diamond Chain Letters necklaces front and center in this broadcast send, highlighting that each piece can be fully bespoke. Their campaign emphasized:

• “Make it yours” messaging that feels exclusive and special
• Copy that celebrates the craftsmanship behind each necklace
• A clear cut-off date for customization to create urgency

Gamify it

Gamification adds an interactive layer to your Valentine’s campaigns, encouraging customers to spend more time with your brand while sharing valuable preference data. 

Quizzes and product finders work particularly well at this time of year: they reduce choice overload, feel playful rather than sales-led, and help guide shoppers toward the right product with confidence.

In practice: Hotel Chocolat 

Though not strictly a Valentine’s Day campaign, we couldn’t help but fall in love with Hotel Chocolat’s “Love Match Quiz,” powered by Odicci. 

The quiz invited customers to discover their perfect chocolate match, sending them to a personalized landing page on completion. Promoted via email, the quiz achieved a 64% completion rate and a 60% click-through rate on the most popular result, while also enriching customer profiles for targeted follow-up campaigns.

Sweeten the deal 

If you want to steer clear of explicitly encouraging gift purchases, many brands use the holiday to express love for their customers by offering Valentine’s related discounts or perks, including:

• Free shipping
• Free Valentine’s gift-wrapping
• Free customization (such as engraving)
• Gift-with-purchase
• Buy-one-get-one (for your Valentine)

These small touches can make shoppers feel special while gently nudging them toward a purchase.

In practice: CREED Fragrance

Luxury fragrance house CREED nailed it with a Valentine’s campaign that stayed true to their premium positioning. Shoppers who spent £200 or more received an exclusive gift, while the new fragrance, Absolu Aventus, was positioned as a collector’s item, reinforcing the brand’s sense of exclusivity and luxury.

Elevate the in-store experience

Your physical stores can be powerful drivers of connection, especially during an emotive moment like Valentine’s Day. Thoughtful in-store activations can turn a routine visit into a memorable brand experience, while also supporting conversion and footfall.

Use geo-targeted messaging to reach customers near specific locations, encouraging them to visit in-store with timely, relevant incentives or experiences that can’t be replicated online.

In practice: Marc Jacobs

Marc Jacobs brought Valentine’s Day to life with the “Picture Us Together” event at their Prince Street store in New York. Shoppers who made a purchase received complimentary Valentine’s Day portraits, blending experiential marketing with retail in a way that felt personal, shareable, and on-brand.

Create a gift guide

Valentine’s gifting can feel overwhelming, especially for recipients who “already have everything.” That’s where a gift guide comes in.

Organize guides by recipient, budget, or category, and don’t be afraid to highlight favorites, bestsellers, or “can’t-go-wrong” picks.

In practice: Finisterre

Outdoor and surfwear brand Finisterre kept its Valentine’s Day messaging perfectly aligned with its values and tone of voice. In this broadcast, the brand:

• Highlighted their hero product in both the subject line and body copy
• Reinforced trust with customer reviews and UGC
• Linked to a curated Valentine’s gift guide
• Offered free gift wrapping to seal the deal

With the strategies above, you’ll be well positioned to win hearts (and conversions) this Valentine’s Day. 

Want more best practice campaign examples? Check out our 9 favorite Black Friday campaigns from leading brands across fashion, sports, marketplaces, and more.