What to Expect From Valentine's Day Sales in 2024

Are you hunting for gifts for Valentine's Day? The good news is you have plenty of time to shop for the perfect present, but you shouldn't wait too long! Prices on some items will likely increase soon, and other early shoppers could leave you with a lackluster selection.

Check out our guide below on what to expect from Valentine's Day sales in 2024, including what kinds of savings to count on, the best time to get Valentine's deals, and more. We also cover the best Valentine's Day sales and offers you can shop now!

The Best Valentine's Day Sales You Can Shop In 2024

Walmart: Satisfy your Valentine's sweet tooth (and/or your own!) by shopping this assortment of candy priced at $5 or below. There's a little something for everyone in this sale, whether you prefer something chewy and fruity or something rich and chocolatey.

Woot!: No matter how you want to pamper your better half, Woot has you covered with their Valentine's Day Deals. Looking for something sparkly? Check out their "Bling Your Valentine" subsale. If you'd rather go a more comforting route, maybe "Pamper Your Valentine" will suit your needs. There are also deals on food items and clothing, including Woot's signature punny shirts.

Macy's: Fragrances are a classic gift for a reason, and Macy's knows it. The retailer is offering up to 50% off a variety of perfumes and colognes this Valentine's Day, with discounts covering individual bottles of fragrances as well as gift sets — from more affordable brands all the way up to designer scents.

Costco: Through February 12, you can preorder delivery of 50-stem rose bouquets for $64.99 at Costco in classic red, shades of pink, hot pink and light pink, red and white, or lavender roses. Of note, a vase is not included with this purchase, but their price is still unbeatable.

Naked Wines: Just for filling out their Wine Genie quiz, Naked Wines is offering $100 off a 6-bottle pack, knocking the price down to $40 after savings. While this is a membership program — meaning typically you would receive a delivery every three months — you can cancel the service any time. (However, you must be at least 21 years old to order, and select states may be excluded from delivery or purchase eligibility.)

Target: No matter what gift or experience you ultimately choose, you might want to snag a Valentine's Day card from Target at 20% off, an offer reserved for their Target Circle rewards program members. (If you're not a member, it's free to join!) Their sale covers cards with traditional romantic messages as well as more general 8-count card packs, which can come in handy for friends, coworkers, or kids' classmates.

When Do Valentine's Day Sales Start?

Valentine's Day sales can start in early January. So it's worth beginning your Valentine's Day shopping each year weeks before the holiday itself. Last year, the first Valentine's sale we saw kicked off by January 6, when JCPenney cut up to 50% off more than 2,000 items.

What else should you know about that sale? Well, the retailer let shoppers take an extra 10% to 30% off via a couple of different coupon codes. While the codes didn't stack, the opportunity to save extra that far in advance of Valentine's Day was a solid offer for early-bird shoppers.

The first Valentine's-related deal we saw last year popped up even earlier, on January 3. That's over a month before the holiday! It was for a LEGO Valentine Lovebirds set at Amazon that cost just $13, which was a $10 savings then. At the time of this article's publication, however, the set was going for around $35 on Amazon. So a discount to $13 would be an even better deal if it pops up again this year.

What Is the Best Time to Get Valentine's Day Deals?

The best time to get Valentine's Day deals can be early or closer to the holiday, depending on how you approach your buying. Last year, more sales popped up the closer February 14 drew, so the opportunities for savings should increase as time goes on. But shopping early can still be the best way to go, as you'll usually have a better selection and can potentially save on shipping for traditional gifts like fresh flowers.

SEE ALSO: The 9 Best Things to Buy in February (Including Presidents' Day Sales!)

February is still a few weeks away, so if you want the best price on delivery for roses, it's a good idea to lock that price in now. If you wait, know that the cost can spike sharply on or around February 1.

Valentine's Day sales aren't picking up much yet, but you can still find great individual deals right now. We've already seen a couple of notable offers on Valentine's-themed candy. Among them were a bag of 70 pieces of Mars Valentine's candy for $8.47. It included Milky Way, Twix, Snickers, 3 Musketeers, and the best of the bunch (in this writer's opinion), Milky Way Midnight. That works out to about 12 cents per piece. So even if you don't need the candy for themed celebrations, it's a good way to treat your own sweet tooth for less.

Where Should You Shop for Valentine's Day 2024 Deals?

Companies of all kinds promote Valentine's Day deals and sales. Here are some to check out! They were among the retailers we listed Staff Pick Valentine's Day deals for in 2023, meaning the offers were some of the best we saw.

• Amazon
• HP
• HSN
• JCPenney
• Macy's
• Mrs. Fields
• Nike

What Should You Buy From Valentine's Day Sales in 2024?

What to Expect From Valentine's Day Sales in 2024

Valentine's Day Jewelry Sales

Jewelry is a classic Valentine's Day gift, so it's one of the most popular items in holiday sales this time of year. In 2023, Valentine's Day jewelry sales started early, with the first one we noted falling on January 9. That's when Zales cut up to 50% off in its clearance sale, plus offered an extra 20% off in-cart.

While historically, we've only seen Valentine's Day sales take about 20% to 30% off, during the last couple of years we've actually seen a fair amount of great discounts. For example, Macy's took 50% to 70% off select watches and jewelry in a flash sale last year, while JCPenney cut up to 72% off and an extra 25% off in their Valentine's Day jewelry sale. Other department stores participated, too. Belk discounted more than 4,000 items in their jewelry clearance in late January 2023, for instance.

Valentine's Day Flower Sales

Flowers for Valentine's Day is an easy go-to gift. But flowers aren't always cheap, especially if you're leaning toward the traditional arrangements of red roses. For example, in 2022 we saw one dozen long-stemmed red roses for $35, plus $15 shipping and handling. While that's not a bad deal, per se, it may not be what you want to spend on flowers, especially if the cost is just a fraction of what you're expecting to spend on Valentine's Day as a whole.

Watch for sales from retailers like 1-800-Flowers in particular. After all, flower offers (and Valentine's Day arrangements) are a huge deal for them — no pun intended. Last year they took up to 50% off Valentine's gifts by the end of January, and offered roses priced from $35 plus free shipping for Celebrations Passport members around February 1. Beware that if you wait until the last minute, you'll likely have to pay for your procrastination. On February 13 last year, 1-800-Flowers offered two dozen red roses from $60 plus another $21 for shipping for Valentine's Day.

The best thing you can do if you're looking to buy flowers and save is to consider an arrangement that doesn't use roses or have Valentine's Day branding. Send a heartfelt card with it, and you'll convey your emotion there much better than cliched roses would.

Valentine's Day Candy Sales

Chocolates are another classic Valentine's Day gift, and you can expect sales on them leading up to the holiday. That said, count on the best offers coming on February 15, when retailers discount any heart-shaped leftovers to try to clear them out.

SEE ALSO: What to Expect From Presidents' Day Sales

If you need goodies by February 14, though, look for sales such as Godiva's Valentine's Day event. It should take 20% off to start, while Lindt could compete and offer the same discount on their own products. Note that Godiva may have better shipping rates, though. Last year, orders over $40 shipped free from Godiva, but you had to spend $60 at Lindt to get free shipping.

Watch for savings from big box stores, as well. Last year, Target offered Valentine's Day chocolate as part of a "buy one, get 25% off" promotion when shoppers opted for pickup or same-day delivery. Again, though, if you wait until the after–Valentine's Day sales on February 15, you can expect widespread discounts of at least 50% off. And anything that doesn't sell right away could see even better savings in the days after.

Valentine's Day Restaurant Deals

This is likely going to be a busy year for dining out on Valentine's Day, just like the pre-pandemic days. If you haven't made a reservation at your chosen restaurant, you may want to do so now, especially if it's upscale and popular for date nights. But don't expect there to be many — if any — deals at these kinds of places. High-end restaurants typically don't offer real savings for the holiday. Instead, they usually offer a special menu at a fixed price. Still, if you want the dinner to be special, this is a way to ensure just that.

Are you looking at other dining options for Valentine's Day? You may be able to take advantage of "BOGO" offers, which could be in the form of buy one entree, get half off a second. And if you're not comfortable sitting down and dealing with a crowded restaurant, know that many eateries — even high-end ones — offer takeout. So you can always pick up your meal of choice and feast at home with Netflix. But if there are special promotions for dining on Valentine's Day, they likely will be eligible for people dining in only.

Pitfalls to Avoid During Valentine's Day Sales

Many Valentine's Day sales require shoppers to use coupon codes to take advantage of advertised savings. Some codes are clearly displayed on retailers' sites, but others you have to look for to track them down. Beware that some coupon codes are tied to minimum purchases, as well. So make sure before you check out that you aren't adding items to your cart unnecessarily just to take advantage of "savings."

SEE ALSO: The Best Gift Card Deals of 2024

Another case where we tend to see minimum purchases prioritized is with "free" shipping. Truly free shipping is rare these days, no matter what the holiday is. But it was never a big "thing" for Valentine's Day. Instead, be prepared to meet minimum purchase requirements to bag free shipping. And if you aren't anywhere near that minimum amount, don't let yourself be fooled into spending more in your effort to save.

Shopping for traditional gifts like flowers and chocolate that you want delivered the day of? Be prepared for added fees and more expensive basic fees, like shipping for the holiday.

Ready to shop? Check out the best Valentine's Day deals available now, and follow us on Facebook to get more helpful ways to save!