SWNYGRADES by Zoya Gervis
New York office - 646-873-7565 / usnews@swns.com
NEWS COPY - WITH VIDEO & INFOGRAPHIC
With Valentine’s Day just over a week away, it seems many Americans may be heading for failure.
A new survey finds nearly 60 percent of people give their partner an F grade when it comes to bringing the romance on February 14.
The Groupon study, which looked into gift expectations and plans surrounding the annual day of love, uncovered that the average person rates their partner at just 52 percent – an F-grade equivalent – when it comes to the effort they put into Valentine’s Day.
Shockingly, just 15 percent of those surveyed would grade their partner an A. Which raises the question: what do people need to do to help make sure they get a passing grade this year?
According to the survey, which was conducted by OnePoll and commissioned by Groupon, 70 percent of people said getting a Valentine’s Day gift was still very important to them. But with so many people receiving a failing grade from their partner, what are the gifts that people actually want this year?
Respondents selected a romantic dinner, chocolate, flowers, a massage and a home-cooked meal as the top five gifts. Jewelry, a trip to an exotic and/or warm weather locale, a spa package, a staycation at a local hotel and tickets to a comedy show rounded out the top 10.
“Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to express how much you love your partner, but as the survey results show far too many are missing the mark and not getting the job done,” said Aaron Cooper, president of North America, Groupon. “The good news is that we’ve uncovered the Valentine’s Day gifts sure to ignite the romance and help you knock it out of the park this year.”
And when it comes to giving your loved one flowers on Valentine’s Day, the survey revealed that it’s important to get the selection, quantity and delivery just right. The average person is most likely to receive a dozen roses and have them delivered to work instead of home. Surprisingly, the survey also found strong preferences amongst participants for rose alternatives such as tulips, lilacs, sunflowers, bonsai and edible arrangements.
The survey also found that men were surprisingly more demanding than women when it comes to Valentine’s Day expectations. More than half of the men polled admitted that they expect their partner to make a maximum effort in getting them a Valentine’s Day gift this year compared to just 36 percent of women who expect the same amount of effort.
Finally, nearly 60 percent of those surveyed revealed that they are hoping Cupid’s arrow will reignite the romance in their relationship this year. And they may actually be onto something as nearly the same amount of people said they expect to have sex with their partner on Valentine’s Day.