Constant Contact®, Inc. announced the results of its 2009 U.S. Small Business Valentine’s Day Outlook survey. According to the responses from more than 2,500 U.S. small businesses, the majority of respondents (76 percent) do not anticipate strong Valentine’s Day sales. In an attempt to boost Valentine’s Day sales, forty-seven percent of respondents plan to offer special promotions, with the majority (56 percent) favoring online marketing methods over traditional print and advertising methods.

Survey responses also revealed that 44 percent of small businesses are feeling increasingly more negative about the state of the economy than they did six months ago, and 85 percent of respondents believe full economic recovery will take a year or longer. In listening to the concerns of its customers in this weak economy, Constant Contact has increased its efforts to support these small businesses to help drive their success, not only for the Valentine’s Day holiday, but for the long term. In order to survive this economic hardship, Constant Contact believes businesses must continue to market themselves and nurture their existing customer relationships.

"Although small business owners are typically optimistic, our survey clearly shows that the economy is weighing on their minds. Our customers are particularly interested in advice on how to make the most of this holiday as well as how to thrive throughout the year - and we are listening," said Gail Goodman, CEO, Constant Contact. "We continue to provide our customers with expanded support programs and cost-effective tools to help them market more effectively in this difficult time. We are teaching them how to deepen existing customer relationships, to drive repeat business and referrals, and to achieve success in any economic environment."

Valentine’s Day Purchasing Trends

In addition to the survey findings previously noted, the majority of survey respondents (72 percent) believe that their customers will scale back their spending for Valentine’s Day this year. In fact, 46 percent of small businesses said their customers would spend less than $25 on a gift this year as compared to 39 percent in 2008. As a result, many businesses will be offering promotions such as free shipping, discounts, special packages and free products and services added to large purchases in a bid to entice shoppers to spend more.

According to U.S. small business owners, consumers can expect to receive traditional gifts from their loved ones this year. For the third year in a row, the most anticipated gift is flowers, at 58 percent, a significant increase from last year’s 41 percent. Candy ranked next in popularity at 15 percent, while jewelry ranked an all-time low of only six percent of respondents, likely indicating that consumers are reluctant to spend in an uncertain economy. Interestingly, many respondents mentioned gift cards and certificates as ideal gifts, indicating that consumers may not be taking any chances on buying a gift that is not used or appreciated, or buyers may be acknowledging that recipients appreciate the ability to choose how to spend a gift card.