Sales of flowers at petrol stations are set to surge by 550% on Valentine’s Day, Saturday February 14, compared to the same day the previous week, as travellers pick bouquets up on their way to meet loved ones.
That data is based on figures from Valentine’s 2025, when BP, which compiled the figures, also saw flower sales shoot up by 77% compared to February 13, indicating last-minute-itis is by no means incompatible with romantic gestures. Such is the quality of the modern garage bouquet, meanwhile, that the firm says forecourt flowers are today seen as a “premium gift choice for many”.
It’s not just flower sales that bloom at this time of year, either: BP says Champagne sales rose by 131% on February 14 last year compared to the day before, with sparkling wine volumes up 117%, red wine up 48%, and white 32%.
But V Day is about more than just wine and flowers: chocolate and sweet sales at BP filling stations rose 66% in the two days leading up to the 14th, with Valentine’s Day cards enjoying a 441% bump.
Given BP’s long-running partnership with M&S Food, the oil major highlights the latter’s ‘You Tickle My Pickle’ confectionery, which, instead of being a brined cucumber, is a pickle-shaped solid milk chocolate bar with rosy-red cheeks, dark chocolate eyes, and a surprisingly suggestive pose.
