Money famously can't buy you love, but be prepared to pay up for those Valentine's Day flowers or chocolates this year.
asserted
Money → buy → flowers
The average consumer is expected to spend roughly $200 — an all-time high and up from $188.81 last year — on the annual day of romance, according to the National Retail Federation.
uncertain
consumer → expect → Federation
Virtually every Valentine's Day staple has gotten significantly more expensive in recent years.
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staple → get → years
Since 2021, prices across related gift categories have seen double-digit inflation, with chocolate costs surging more than 70%, according to federal economic data.
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costs → see → data
Prices for 32 popular Valentine's Day chocolate products rose from last year, a recent LendingTree report said, a sign that elevated inflation continues to affect consumers.
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inflation → rise → consumers
Although global cocoa costs have dropped, "retail prices are still sticky," David Branch, an agriculture expert at Wells Fargo, told CBS News.
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Branch → drop → News
"That's because for most candymakers, there's a lag between when they have to purchase the cocoa beans as raw material, to when they actually produce the product.
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they → be → product
"
To save money — wait
Christopher Taylor, who owns Li-Lac Chocolates in New York City, said his company has felt the sting of higher chocolate prices, but made a conscious decision two years ago not to increase prices for customers.
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company → save → customers
We barely broke even," said Taylor, noting the impact of steeper U.S. tariffs on his business's costs.
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Taylor → break → costs
"If we hadn't locked in those prices, we would have lost a serious amount of money.
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we → lock → money
I just did not detect a customer appetite for higher prices."
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I → detect → prices
One tip Taylor offers for consumers looking to save a few bucks and who have some flexibility on Valentine's Day gift-giving: "After the holiday, everything goes down by 50%."
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everything → offer → %
Dahlia Graham, who owns Fruition Chocolate Works in New York, said her bean-to-bar operation had to shift its purchasing strategies as cocoa prices soared between 2022 and 2024.
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prices → own → 2022
We had to adjust the timing and quantity of our purchases, as well as consider swapping out certain cocoa bean selections for others," she said.
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she → have → others
Graham doesn't expect to cut her store's prices anytime soon, pointing to higher labor, packaging and other costs.
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Graham → expect → labor
Roughly 80% of all cut flowers sold in the U.S. are imported and subject to steeper U.S. levies, with the vast majority coming from Colombia, Ecuador and other countries in South America.
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majority → cut → America
Tariffs also affect packaging materials like vases, wrapping and ribbons, which mainly come from China.
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which → affect → China
Domestic flower growers aren't faring much better, as freezing temperatures in early 2026, particularly in the South, have damaged crops and impacted availability.
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temperatures → fare → availability
Bill Anastasakis, the owner of New York Plaza Florist in Manhattan, said roses tend to be the most expensive flower on Valentine's Day because of strong consumer demand.
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roses → say → demand
To save money, he suggests opting for other flowers.
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he → save → flowers
"Roses, and especially red roses, are going to be the most expensive.
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Roses → go → ?
Red tulips are cheaper — one-third the price," he said.
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he → say → ?
Another favorite Valentine's Day gift — jewelry — has seen the highest price jumps.
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gift → see → jumps
That's largely because of the skyrocketing cost of precious metals, with gold prices spiking more than 50% last year and now topping $5,000 an ounce.
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prices → skyrocket → 5,000
Still, love often manages to find a way, even if it costs more.
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it → manage → more
Shoppers are expected to spend a total of $7 billion on jewelry, according to the National Retail Federation.
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Shoppers → expect → Federation
That's up 8% from last year, making it the category where consumers will spend the most for Valentine's Day.
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consumers → make → Day
The Aporia
