This Valentine’s Day, More People Are Saying ‘I Love You’—To Themselves

livemint.com:

For some people it’s easy to pick the perfect Valentine’s Day gift. They’re buying for themselves. Self-gifting is on the rise for Cupid’s holiday as more consumers grow tired of receiving duds from their spouse or significant other, enjoy the empowerment of treating themselves or celebrate the single life.

It’s yet another way Feb. 14 is getting a makeover when nearly half the U.S. adult population is unmarried and many say they aren’t looking for a romantic relationship.

The trend is a boon for retailers and could help reverse sagging Valentine’s Day sales. Larger companies such as Target and Etsy to smaller jewelers and lingerie sellers are switching up marketing messages and creating special collections to emphasize self-gifting. Lena Parsell, an art director in Philadelphia, received a pair of gray wool socks from her husband for Christmas that were so bulky and itchy that they became a magnet for her cat, who bit her toes when she wore them around the house.

“My husband is amazing, but he has trouble figuring out my taste," Parsell says. “Sometimes he really nails it," like when he commissioned a portrait of Parsell and their daughter. Other times he falls short, such as when he bought her kitchen towels.

“Or he’ll say, ‘I didn’t know what to get you, so just pick out something for yourself.’" That is what she is doing this Valentine’s Day. She designed a custom ring from jeweler Bario Neal of 18-karat gold with an aquamarine stone, which is her mother’s and daughter’s birthstone. “It’s about love in all different ways," she says.

Last year, 39% of U.S. consumers said they bought themselves a Valentine’s Day gift, according to a poll of more than 1,000 people by market-research firm Circana. Marshal Cohen,