Fed: "Good feeling industries" find Valentine s Day to die for

AAP General News (Australia)
02-14-2000
Fed: "Good feeling industries" find Valentine s Day to die for

Countless Lambchops, Boobies, Babes and Cookies have again used newspaper columns to
profess their love for each other - but the real glowing hearts are in the retail industry.

Whether selling flowers, chocolates, or greeting cards, gift industry businesses are
enjoying booming sales for the festival named after a martyred third-century Italian priest.

And the Australian Industry Group's national manager of economics, TONY PENSABENE,
says St Valentine's Day is growing.

He says the day's probably worth a couple of hundred million dollars to Australia's
$5 billion-a-year printing industry - and another 100 million to the $1.3 billion confectionary
industry.

Australia's biggest flower wholesaler, Tesselaar, says the week around Valentines Day
is worth about three normal weeks.

Tesselaar general manager, STEVE WHITE, estimates the day is five times as big as it
was 20 years ago.

But he says it's still a very traditional business - with red roses selling the best,
followed by lilies and gerberas.

Meanwhile, confectioner Darrell Lea says it expects this year to continue the trend
of an eight per cent annual growth in Valentine sales.

AAP imc/ra/ab/as

KEYWORD: VALENTINES (MELBOURNE)

2000 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.