Men on Valentine's Day

PERTH MEN, SYDNEY WOMEN THE MOST GENEROUS FOR VALENTINES DAY

Sydneysiders are most likely to be single, Brisbane women are demanding, Perth-based men are the most generous spenders, while men living in Melbourne are the most likely to say it with flowers according to a national survey about Valentines Day.

According to the 5th quarterly Australian Pleasure Survey commissioned by online gift voucher service RedBalloon Days, of the 3,005 respondents, 79.9% of all respondents will celebrate the day with a partner.

Of the men and women living in Sydney only 78.0% and 79.0% of respondents respectively will enjoy Valentines Day with a partner, compared to 87.5% of Perth men and 93.2% of Adelaide women.

However, according to the chief of experiences at RedBalloon Days, Naomi Simson, most Australians are both realistic and romantic about Valentines Day.

"Adelaide people are the most likely of all Australians (92.5% vs the national average of 88.5%) to view Valentines Day as too commercial,' said Simson, "yet 95.8% of all respondents have bought a Valentines Day gift at least once in their lives".

"Men are the big spenders, with 50.8% spending $150 or more, compared to just 34.5% of women," said Simson. "Of those who have spent $200 or more, 35.1% are men, and 20.3% are women."

The biggest spenders are Perth men and Sydney women (41.7% and 23.3% respectively) who have spent $200 or more on Valentines Day gifts, while the nations stingiest romantics are women living in Perth (19.1%) and Adelaide men (19.0%) who have spent less than $50 on gifts.

"Surprisingly few people (12.8% of women, 7.1% of men nationwide) said they would be embarrassed if they didnt receive anything on the day," said Simson. Those who say otherwise are Brisbane women (14.5%) and men living in Melbourne (10.4%).

Of all Australians, female Brisbanites are the most likely to agree that Valentines Day creates a lot of expectations when youve just started dating (82.1% vs national average of 77.9%), it is a good test to see if youre taken for granted by your partner (32.4% vs 27.6%), its embarrassing not receiving something at work on the day (14.5% vs 11.6%), and Valentines Day, their birthday and Christmas are the only times their partner does acknowledge them (27.4% vs 11.2%).

The most sensitive souls seem to belong to Melbourne women, and Perth men, who were the most likely to agree that Valentines Day is distressing for those without a partner (66.5% and 54.0% vs national average of 63.3% for women, and 47.6% for men respectively).

Sydney men were the most likely of all male respondents to want to celebrate Valentines Day by taking their partner on a dinner for two or a picnic (32.2%), Perth men planned to take them on a weekend away (62.5%) while Brisbane men wanted to celebrate with something out of the ordinary (35.0%).

Adelaide women and Brisbane men ((48.2% and 50.0% vs national male and female average of 38.9% and 43.7% respectively) are the most likely of all to plan the gift and Valentines Day itself for weeks beforehand.

According to Simson, tastes in Valentines Day gifts have changed. "The survey found that only one in five men and one in 13 women want to give flowers, chocolates, fragrance or lingerie as gifts on the day, and the majority want to enjoy a weekend away or a dinner for two with their partner," said Simson.

While a weekend away and a dinner for two are far and away the favourite Valentines Day gift options across Australia (57.3% and 30.4% respectively), some of the gifts appealed much more to residents of different cities. The top answer for each gift category was as follows:

a weekend away Brisbane men (55.0%); Melbourne women (64.0%)
a dinner for two Sydney men (39.2%); Adelaide women (32.2%)
flowers Melbourne men (16.9%); Sydney women (2.7%)

chocolates Adelaide men (9.5%); Adelaide women (5.4%)
lingerie/underwear Perth men (8.3%); Adelaide women (1.7%)
fragrance Sydney men (1.7%); Brisbane women (3.4%)

www.redballoondays.com.au