Digital Romance Blooms: Visa survey reveals Thai couples' preference for eCommerce in Valentine's Day gift shopping

Expressing love is going digital as almost 80 per cent of Thais plan to buy their loved ones a Valentine's Day gift online, according to a new survey conducted by the YouGov analysis institute on behalf of Visa, a world leader in digital payments. The survey [Visa Valentine's Day Spending and Behaviour Study was conducted by YouGov among 2,006 Thai respondents online in January 2024.] was intended to gauge Thai consumers' payment behaviours ahead of Valentine's Day, factors that would influence their purchase decisions, and simply what type of gesture would melt the hearts of their partners.

One of the most challenging tasks is knowing what your partner wants. Based on the findings, nearly two in three (59%) simply tell their loved one exactly what they want. The second most popular way is to seek the help of Artificial Intelligence where 27 per cent of respondents plan to let their desires be known by whispering into their partner's smartphone. Others (22%) subtly hint to their partner hoping they eventually get the message.

When deciding where to buy their Valentine a gift that expresses their love, over half of respondents (57%) plan to log on to online retailers and eCommerce platforms, while almost a fifth (20%) intend to buy directly from social commerce shops on Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok and LINE.

Love in 2024 does have a cost. Price and discounts (58%) are the most important factor when lovers choose where to buy gifts, followed by the variety and quality of products on offer (50%). Other deciding factors include the length of the Valentine's promotion or package (30%), having previous positive experiences with the merchant (27%), and brand reputation (21%).

Based on the findings, nearly seven in ten respondents (68%) plan to spend no more than THB 1,000. Meanwhile, 29 per cent of respondents are planning to spend between THB 1,001 to THB 10,000 and 3 per cent are planning to splurge more than THB 10,000 on gifts and celebrations this year.

When it comes to the most popular gift category one would likely choose, nearly one in three (30%) said clothes, handbags and fashion accessories are the one for their beau or belle. This is followed by more symbolic gifts like chocolates (25%) and flowers (12%).

For many, the way to the heart is not all about gifts, and true romance survives as the gesture most likely to melt hearts is simply spending quality time together (41%). Meanwhile, others choose to express love by purchasing popular Valentine's promotions / gifts such as couple sets (27%), buy one get one free items (22%), followed by free name engraving on products (15%) and hotel spa gift vouchers (12%).

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