It’s true.
When you take your chocolates out of the mix and put ya brain on.
How businesses can make up for January losses in three days…
That box of chocolate and sexy mini dress just paid for dry January.
Literally.
I know what you’re thinking, Chan: Is this another rant? Yes, it is.
But I have to keep it a buck with you. Valentine’s Day is the ultimate scam.
Sure, you should love your lover, but not one day. Every day.
Valentine’s Day is a sham
It is.
Think about it. The busiest time for retail is late October through November and December, if we’re being honest.
Even August and September are pretty busy with the back-to-school era. The only month that truly doesn’t get traction is January.
Wanna know how to make up those sales?
You create one random day to celebrate “love.”
You get the final product – Valentine’s Day.
A day where men rush out to buy that one bouquet he’ll probably never buy again until next year if he’s “one of those” typa men.
Or that pack of overly, secretly old heart-shaped candy box, and of course, book a meal at one of those fancy restaurants.
And we can’t forget the outfit.
It’s the ultimate trio
Each retail department wins on Valentine’s Day. The baked good business wins because folks are buying sweets. Your favorite grocery store is your local friend who provides you with the candy and flowers.
Need an outfit? Your department store is your go-to for a last-minute pair of slacks.
And for dinner? We’re having steak or seafood.
Every sector of retail can truly benefit from this holiday.
Even the hairstylists, makeup, and barbershop industry is winning as well.
You don’t have to read a million articles to fact-check; pay attention.
And the crazy part is, other industries are starting to dig into the pot
The average coffee shop is now hosting date night. Or creating themed concoction drinks that represent love.
Your local library has an event for you to attend.
It’s truly interesting to see how everyone is benefiting.
Valentine’s Day saves the business
For quarter 1, sales are low! January is a slow month. Most folks aren’t shopping unless it’s for groceries, toiletries, and calendars. Literally.
The gym membership business goes up.
However, most aren’t buying a box of chocolate. Most aren’t buying that sexy mini dress paired with the skinny heel.
How do you convince people to shop
Tell them their lover only loves them if they buy them a new diamond-cut necklace or heart-shaped balloons with big phrases. Or even the red and pink card.
You make your money back by telling people they have to show their affection on this day. If you don’t, “they’re unloved”.
It’s a “crappy day” for the unsingle, so you create another day for them to feel happy and comfortable.
Galentine’s Day is born
Now you have a dinner party; not exactly a cost-effective typa event.
Galentine’s is what Christmas Eve is to Christmas, and what Friendsgiving is to Thanksgiving. They’re just more days to spend more money.
Let’s think about the cost of the Galentine’s Day party:
Say you want to host a party of six? The larger the party, the more it costs.
Let’s stick with six.
It’s at Trinity’s apartment; we’re using her place as the location. So her gas, her light bill, her water, her heat. Trinity is going to decorate. Let’s break down the cost.
The “dollar store” route
A tablecloth, balloons, table decor, plates, napkins, and plasticware from Dollar Tree are all $1.50 a piece.
So the decor alone will cost her about $20 before tax if she gets the essentials plus additional items like placemats, cups, and even table scatter.
The “I can’t have cheap decor route”
Now, if she goes to Five Below, she’s going to spend about $4-5 per item, and that can bring her total to at least, let’s say, $45.
Who’s bringing the food?
Let’s say Shontay is bringing the charcuterie board.
A charcuterie board for six can cost up to $50 for cheeses, crackers, cured meats, olives, and snacks. It’s actually more than $50, but if you shop at Aldi, it’s pretty cost-effective.
We need more than a charcuterie board. Let’s do pizza and wings?
Mili is bringing the wings and pizza. Everyone gets a heart-shaped pizza? That’s lowkey too expensive, let’s bring two medium, 8 sliced round pizzas, and about 20 wings? That has to be about $50 in this economy.
Maybe even $60…
Before dessert, we’re at least $100 in food.
Piper is bringing the desserts, homemade because it’s cheaper. A box of cake is about $2, and icing is about $2 as well. If she adds sprinkles, it’s $1.50. She wants to make cupcakes, though, so she also needs liners. From Dollar Tree, they’re about $1.50.
So she’s about to spend $6 on about 24 cupcakes! Not horrible!
Who’s bringing the drinks?
Right now, we only have four guests bringing items. Hmmm, does Piper bring the drinks since she’s only spending $6, or do we have a designated person for that as well?
They invite Winter, she’s bringing lemonade for the girlies who want to stay sober and wine for the others! If she goes the expensive route, a bottle of top-shelf Rosè is about $30.
If she’s feeling on a budget, a mimosa cocktail bottle is about $11, and the lemonade is about $2.
One bottle is not enough, double it.
She’s going to spend about $26 on drinks before tax.
Alright, there’s another friend involved named Lonnie who wants to contribute as well. She’s going to bring the crafts, a dish, and a dessert because she got it like that!
Her craft is about $5 per person. They’re going to paint on canvases, she’s making a spinach dip that’s about $10 for all the ingredients, and she’s bringing cookies from the store that are about $6 for a container of 12.
Lonnie has spent about $46 before tax.
What’s the total of our party
It’s about $198 if you go the budget-friendly route. However, if we added more food, accurate pricing, and – OMG
We forgot the candy! And trinkets!
Someone has to bring the candy and trinkets!
The girl with the total of $6 adds the candy and trinkets to her basket. The candy costs about $15 for all the ladies, and she spent $10 on notebooks, pens, Valentine’s Day cards, and bracelets!
We didn’t even get to the fashion part of this!
Anyway, with our new total, the party came out to be about $223.
It’s not a cheap holiday.
Mind you, a dinner for two at a fancy restaurant can be about $200…
The history of VDAY is actually chaotic
Now you know I can’t do this without giving you a bit of history.
The background of Valentine’s Day is actually scary.
Women weren’t actually celebrated at all on the day. They were actually… how far do you want to go down this deep dive?
Animals were actually…
Read this NPR article for more.
Long story short, and I am a victim of this as well – we should know the origins of what we’re celebrating.
Not everything should be commercialized, and we’re so far down the line, but we can at least be aware.
Why this matters to me
I own a small business, and we’re often told we have to be on trend with the holidays.
If not, you’re behind. (Not really, but it feels like that)
As a small business owner who’s fairly new, I want to know why my business should participate in these holidays and why I should create products geared toward commercialization.
So, while this post kinda bashes retail and its dirty ways and how holidays are just days to rip money out of the consumer’s pockets, it also gives me and you thought-provoking questions to ask ourselves.
Should we participate as a business? As a consumer?
How can we participate without carrying on the sinister narrative and history of this phenomenon?
I had fun, but at what cost
Yeah, I just sold crafts and pitched my stationery business to couples, solo daters, and other vendors, but that was before I actually knew what I was “celebrating”.
In grade school, it’s a cute little holiday.
But…
I had a realization tonight that challenged my perspective.
I have no reason to be sad, and neither do you, because that one day shouldn’t make you feel alone or less worthy.
You actually saved money, because in real love, every day feels good. They will give you flowers just because, treat you to a nice meal just because, give you love letters and candy JUST BECAUSE…
Don’t equate your worthiness to one day. That’s mind control. Another method to control the masses…
Be better than that.
With love,
C.Alilijah
The solution to stop being scammed
That Easter bunny is making his way into town soon. While I love a Snickers Eggs around this time…
Let’s not overconsume, let’s enjoy the bunny all year round. Don’t create specific content or products for holidays. Create what you want and add those embellishments because you want to. Not because it’s that time of the year.
Everyone is selling something. And everyone is consuming something.
What end of the stick do you want to be on? Or can you dismantle the stick and fine-tune it to your rhythm?
Are you the creator or the seller of the consumer?
Now, I am done.
Go buy your cheap chocolate from the “sale days”.