Kiwi men out to impress this Valentine’s Day
Tweet: NZ loves spending this #ValentinesDay #Mastercard http://news.mstr.cd/2la4SF2
Wellington – February 14, 2017 – Kiwi men are planning to spend a third more on their partners than women, according to
Mastercard’s latest Consumer Purchasing Priorities Survey on Valentine’s Day.
Men will spend on average $157, compared to $103 for women, and over a third of people overall plan to treat their
partner to something special on Valentine’s Day.
Throughout the Asia Pacific region, men are bigger spenders with a planned average spend on gifts 25 percent higher than
women.
The annual “Mastercard Love Index”, created by analysing credit, debit and prepaid card transactions over a three-year
period, has revealed that in New Zealand sentimental spending has increased by 17% since 2014, with the overall number
of transactions up by 59%.
Flowers are the gift of choice for men with almost half of Kiwi blokes planning to treat their partner to a bouquet (48
percent).
For women, a simple card is the most popular gift (35 percent), followed by chocolate or lollies (26 percent). Women
remain hesitant to buy flowers on Valentine’s Day for their loved one, with only 1 in 10 looking to purchase flowers.
“When it comes to Valentine’s Day, Kiwis are sticking to traditional favourites including flowers and going out for a
meal. The popularity of these gifts shows that Kiwis appreciate classic gestures,” says Peter Chisnall, Country Manager
for Mastercard New Zealand and Pacific Islands.
The majority of people surveyed would rather spend time at home given the holiday is mid-week (61 percent), while a
third of New Zealanders will treat themselves to a restaurant meal on Valentine’s Day (33 percent).
The Mastercard data also showed the majority of Valentine’s purchases happen during the last minute dash on February
13th.
“Valentine’s Day is an opportunity for both young and old to show their loved ones they care. People picking up
something in the last minute dash can take advantage of Tap and Go to further speed up the process when picking up a
gift on the day,” adds Chisnall.
The survey found that 86 percent of New Zealanders do not think Valentine’s Day is the best day for a proposal, compared
to the majority of consumers in Vietnam (76 percent), China (68 percent) and Taiwan (51 percent) who believe it is the
best day to propose or receive a marriage proposal.
ENDS