By Coey Fung
February 8, 2024
Valentine’s Day is approaching quickly, and Hong Kong is no stranger to the lavish celebration and overspending that occurs on February 14. Although every day might be Valentine’s Day when lovers are together, it is nevertheless vital for young people with relatively limited finances to commemorate it on such a memorable day as February 14.
Picodi, an international online shopping discount platform, published an online survey study for 2021, in which over 11,000 couples from various nations and regions were interviewed. According to the survey, Hongkongers spend the most on Valentine’s Day presents out of all 38 countries and regions. The average cost per person was as high as 124 USD. The United Kingdom came in second with a per capita spending of 117 USD, followed by Airlie with approximately 112 USD. It is also found that Hong Kong ladies tend to give clothing to their partners while guys usually give Valentine’s Day cards.
To explore if the statistics is still relevant to Hong Kong youngsters nowadays, the reporter visited Mongkok, a popular gathering spot for youths, and interviewed them about their preferences for Valentine’s Day gifts.
My girlfriend expects quite a lot from every festival. Guys should not solely bear the responsibility for festival celebrations, especially when it comes to Valentine’s Day.
Kyle Wong, a 22-year-old university student with a part-time job, expressed his feelings towards the overspending culture in Hong Kong, yet also said that he has already ordered a bouquet and made a dinner reservation at a steakhouse, costing him over HKD1,200. Despite the expensive celebration, he still hoped to show affection to his 20-year-old girlfriend and thank her for her companionship and love over 2 years.
We are students and don’t have much pocket money for dressing up. Giving clothing is a practical choice, not to mention, helping my loved one to dress up makes me feel like bringing our connection closer.
Callie So, 17, believes clothing is a splendid gift idea for Valentine’s Day as it is practical and versatile. However, she agreed that youngsters should avoid buying overpriced gifts as it is not affordable and would create an emotional burden to the one who receives them. On the day of the interview, Callie was hauling a beanie for her boyfriend with a budget of $150. She is planning to go on a picnic with her partner on Valentine’s Day.
Several other youths aged 18 to 24 interviewed, expressed that couples should emphasize the sincerity and meaning of Valentine’s Day gifts regardless of the price. Handwritten cards, handmade chocolate, and clothing are the most popular gifting preferences among them.
Idiot Sandwich, a boutique at TOP, Mongkok, which targets young couples matching outfits, adopts creative business strategies on Valentine’s Day this year. The owner explains that Valentine’s Day is one of their key selling moments, and they are not only going after young couples but also the singles.
Dating gatcha (toy-vending) machine at Idiot Sandwich. @idiot_sandwichk/ Instagram
The boutique has set up a dating gatcha (toy-vending) machine for consumers to leave their contact and “rizz” message – a short punchline to charm and woo a person – in a capsule. Fiona Bao, the owner of Idiot Sandwich, recongizes that young consumers nowadays are more price-sensitive, yet they are easily intrigued by gimmicks and more willing to spend when it comes to festivals. She is positive that the gatcha machine has already increased around 10% of their sales and customer base a week before Valentine’s Day.
Reported by Coey Fung
Edited by Micol Stano and Jimin Park