The Indonesian society has its own unique behaviors when it comes to celebrating Valentine’s Day. Differences in gender, generation, and socioeconomic status (SES) also create interesting patterns.  Through a survey involving 807 respondents, survey company Jakpat found that most Indonesians do not celebrate Valentine’s Day, only 28% do. Despite not celebrating it, 86% of respondents would purchase items with Valentine’s discounts.

Outdoor activities are a top choice for Valentine’s celebrations, such as hangouts and romantic dinners at restaurants. When viewed across generations, Gen X tends to prefer outdoor activities such as hangouts (67%) and picnics (25%). Meanwhile, Gen Z is more connected to indoor activities such as watching movies (29%) and playing games (29%) at home.

In preparing the budget for Valentine’s gifts, the majority provide funds of Rp50,000-250,000, with Gen Z preparing Rp100,000-250,000 and Gen X more prominently with an allocation of Rp500,000-1,000,000 for Valentine’s gifts.

Social media such as Instagram (60%) and TikTok (56%) are the main sources of inspiration in finding Valentine’s gifts and celebration ideas. Aside from the internet, 44% of respondents also get inspiration from browsing storefronts both in person and online.

Valentine’s Gift Purchases
In general, respondents prefer to buy Valentine’s gifts in-store (65%) rather than online (52%). The top considerations when buying in a physical store are to be able to see firsthand the goods (71%) and product quality (70%). While price (79%) is the main consideration for purchasing Valentine’s gifts online.

Speaking of what gifts to give, 8 out of 10 people give chocolates on Valentine’s Day. According to Septiana Widi Sugiastuti as Research Lead Jakpat, it is not surprising that chocolate is the most popular choice as a gift on this Valentine’s Day. “Some chocolate brands offer different types of chocolate in attractive packaging, as well as packages combining chocolate with other products such as flowers, greeting cards, or other romantic paraphernalia designed specifically for Valentine’s Day. It can be an attractive package for customers who are looking for a complete gift for Valentine’s Day,” he said.

Instead of making homemade chocolate, as many as 97% of respondents chose to buy chocolate that was already on the market. Of the many choices of chocolate traded, the main considerations when buying it are quality (81%) and taste (77%). This can be a good opportunity for brands to increase their chocolate sales. “The quality and taste factors of chocolate are the main things to consider when buying chocolate on Valentine’s Day. Some ways of promotion can be done such as holding tasting events or demonstrations during the period leading up to Valentine’s Day. This allows customers to try different types of chocolate and choose the perfect gift for their loved ones.”

Get the details on our report here.