Coimbatore: This Valentine’s Day, celebrations weren’t about red roses, romantic greeting cards and heart-shaped pillows. Instead, couples chose experiences, handmade/personalized cards or quality time together.As a result, florists and gift shops across the city recorded 40%-50% fall in Valentines’ Day business, compared to the previous year. Jayanthi Santhosh, florist at Petals, R S Puram, said business was at least 50% lower than last year. “People seemed to have become cost conscious and chose to spend on fancy dinners or gifts like jewellery, rather than flowers, which has fallen down in the list of options.” Jayanthi has been in the business for the past 27 years.She admitted that the sale of roses used to triple on Valentines’ Day. “So, wholesalers used to hike prices and we used to sell our bouquets at a premium.”Greeting cards, offering messages ranging from romantic to funny to even naughty, have also not had too many takers. “As usual, we received innovative cards, but their sale or movement has become dull. Greeting card sales is down by 40% this year, compared to last year,” said Ramakrishnan, manager, Archies Gallery. “We see only regular customers. Greeting cards are not getting marketed enough.”Deepan S, owner and founder of Race Course-based Gifterz, said the whole enthusiasm for the Valentines’ Day seems to have dampened in the city. “The fact that it has fallen mid-week and coincided with muhurtham dates seem to have taken attention away for it. This year, I delivered hardly 23 bouquets, compared to 40 or so last year. Orders for heart-shaped cakes and pillows have also come down markedly.”Couples, meanwhile, opted for memories that would last long. “I had too much work this year, so my husband and I opted to just watch Netflix and order food at night,” said Sanjana Skandha, who runs Bright Buttons playschool.A few women chose to handmake greeting cards or order customized ones from vendors. “I bought an empty greeting card from a store, wrote a cool cover and a small letter, making it more personal and something he will treasure,” said Lokitha S, a media professional. “A few friends ordered personalized greeting cards too.”

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