Annalyn Kurtz, (CNN) – Whether you love it or hate it, Valentine’s Day is a big business — and no, not everything is fair in love and war.
Guys plan to spend an average of $108 on their sweethearts this Valentine’s Day, twice what women plan to spend on their significant others. Ladies plan to spend only $53, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation.
Flowers and jewelry tend to push up the average costs for men. Very few women buy these items.
Overall, Americans plan to spend a staggering $18.6 billion on candy, cards, gifts and more this Valentine’s Day, according to NRF. Of that, about $10.5 billion goes to spouses and significant others. The rest is spent on other family members, friends, classmates and others. A whopping $815 million is spent on pets.
Think this whole charade is silly? Consider the workers who count on the holiday as one of their biggest days of the year. About 71,000 people worked at florist shops in 2010, according to Census data. Another 53,000 worked at candy makers.