According to a survey by the Retail Council of Canada, 84 per cent of Canadians are planning to spend the same or more on February 14 this year, compared to last, with only a little over 15 per cent saying they will spend more. 

While just under 50 per cent of us celebrate the day of love, 48 per cent of those who do celebrate Valentine's Day will be spending $50 or more on that special someone and only 1.1 per cent will spend more than $500 (that's a whole lot of red roses). Perhaps, unsurprisingly, food, alcohol, and candies are the top spending categories on Valentine's Day.

So what are couples doing on Valentine's Day? The top two activities are all about going out for a special meal or gift-giving/receiving. 24.9 per cent of romantics will either take their loved one to a restaurant for a special meal or will be either giving or receiving gifts (23.3 per cent). 37.1 per cent said they don't plan on celebrating, while 18.1 per cent are opting for Netflix and chill. 

For those who are looking for gifts and buying them, 35.2 per cent said they purchase Valentine's Day products during regular grocery store visits, and 16.4 per cent said it's all about online shopping. 

However, according to the survey, many of us don't really start planning anything until about a week or two before Valentine's Day and 3.5 per cent make a purchase right on February 14. 

The traditional gifts associated with Valentine's Day, such as jewelry and flowers, still ranked in the top three list of what sweethearts give each other, though 5.4 per cent buy something in the cookware category, which includes small household items and kitchen utensils. 

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