Solicitors top Valentine’s sales forecast

Solicitors could see a boost over the Valentine’s Day period, if consumer spending follows last year’s trend, according to data* from the merchant service provider, Paymentsense.

Although not the most romantic of purchases solicitors, attorneys and legal services saw the biggest trading increase on February 14, 2018 compared with all other businesses across the company’s 70,000-strong customer base.

The sector saw a 549% increase in trade last Valentine’s Day, compared with the annual average, suggesting that the occasion could be a trigger for some couples to begin separation proceedings.

Florists’ trading peaked on February 13, with sales volumes of five times the annual average.

Guy Moreve, CMO of Paymentsense, said: “We were surprised to see that legal firms achieved the best percentage sales growth on Valentine’s Day last year - even beating florists. We’ll be watching closely over the next few days to see if this trend is repeated. Our findings also underline how certain events can trigger consumer spending in unexpected areas.”

Valentine’s Day 2019 sales forecast (based on 2018 sales increase)

1/ Solicitors, Legal Services, Attorneys (+549%)

2/ Florists (+467%)

3/ Bowling Alleys (+191%)

4/ Cinema (+154%)

5/ Amusement arcades (+138%)

6/ Service stations (+132%)

7/ Tourist attractions and exhibitions (+122%)

*Data from Paymentsense 70,000-strong customer base.