If Valentine’s Day once thrived on a single scarlet crescendo, one rose, one card, one climactic delivery, Valentine’s Week 2026 has been quietly, deliberately, and quite mischievously stretched into something far more layered. What was once a one-day spike has become a seven-day narrative arc, complete with discovery, deliberation, desire and, inevitably, delivery.
Across some of India’s leading gifting and lifestyle brands, IGP, FNP, Bakingo, Salty and FlowerAura, Valentine’s has been treated less like a hallmark holiday and more like a marketing thesis: one that examines how love is expressed today, who it includes, when it converts, and what happens after the red balloons deflate.
From Single-Day Spikes to Full-Funnel Love Stories
Brands have leaned into early discovery, staggered consideration and late-stage urgency, with each day of Valentine’s Week carrying its own role in the funnel.
Tarun Joshi, Founder and CEO of IGP, has articulated this shift succinctly when he notes that while Valentine’s Day remains the single largest spike, the days leading up to it have carried increasing weight. “Valentine’s Day is the largest day, followed by Rose Day, but the rest of the week acts as a constant reminder that Valentine’s Day is approaching. It puts consumers into a ‘love zone’ rather than a single-day mindset,” he said.
At FNP, Avi Kumar, CMO, has explained that the brand has focused on building demand early through curated discovery and storytelling, guiding consumers through romantic, friendship and self-love journeys before driving conversions through phased drops and incentives. “Our biggest bet has been thoughtful product curation, elevated bundles, premium packaging and hero products that feel intentional rather than transactional,” he has said.
Bakingo, meanwhile, has treated Valentine’s Week as seven distinct emotional moments rather than a single crescendo. Himanshu Chawla, Co-founder, has noted, “Valentine’s isn’t a day anymore, it’s a full week of celebration. Each day has been designed to mark a specific emotion, whether it’s Rose Day, Chocolate Day or moments of self-love. Love isn’t just a day; it’s a whole week, and we’ve wanted to be part of all of it.”
Salty has similarly leaned into curation over chaos. Kanishka Garg, Co-founder, has said that curated gift boxes, including its hero ‘Love Ambulance Kit’ and mixtape-inspired packaging, have emerged as top performers. “People are done with cakes and flowers. They want something more personal, something that reflects moods and identities rather than just an occasion,” he has explained.
For FlowerAura, speed itself has become the funnel. Shrey Sehgal, Co-founder, has shared that the brand has focused on owning what he calls the “delivery of love.” “Discovery happens early, but decisions peak late. Speed, reliability, wide assortment and same-day delivery have become our strongest conversion levers,” he said.
Love, Expanded: Inclusivity Moves from Trend to Truth
Valentine’s Week 2026 has also reflected a cultural recalibration. Romance, while still central, has been joined by Galentine’s, pet love, self-care and non-binary expressions of affection – not as gimmicks, but as legitimate commercial segments.
At IGP, Joshi explained that the brand’s campaign, ‘In My Lover Era’, has deliberately expanded the definition of love. “It’s not just about couples. It defies age, celebrates friendships, and allows people to simply be in that love zone, thinking about people they care for, not just partners,” he said.
FNP has echoed this sentiment, with Kumar stating, “While romantic gifting remains important, our messaging has evolved to celebrate all meaningful relationships- friendships, family bonds and even pets. Every celebration deserves to feel special, regardless of the relationship.”
For Bakingo, this inclusivity has felt instinctive rather than strategic. “Our philosophy, ‘Never Stop Wishing,’ is about celebrating every relationship and every reason to feel something deeply, whether that’s friends, siblings, pets or yourself,” Chawla said.
Salty has embedded this thinking structurally. Garg has pointed out that self-love, friendship and non-conventional Valentine’s themes have been part of the brand’s Valentine playbook for over a year, with dedicated collections that move beyond traditional romantic gifting.
FlowerAura, while acknowledging emerging segments, has stayed anchored in modern couples. “Our messaging has shifted to everyday emotional cues, small hints and gestures people often overlook. While we acknowledge Galentine’s and self-care, our strongest bet remains modern couples and timely, thoughtful act ions,” Sehgal noted.
Clicks, Conversions and The Rise in Advertising Spends
If emotion fuels discovery, data has closed the sale. Across brands, short-form video has driven reach and discovery, while search, email, app notifications and first-party channels have delivered the final conversion.
IGP’s Joshi observed, “Old customers convert better through push notifications and emails, but short-form video gives us sheer reach. This year, we’ve leaned heavily into music-led content and proprietary IP like our ‘In My Lover Era’ song.”
At FNP, Kumar has noted that direct messaging, app notifications and focused digital campaigns have proven most effective in driving final purchases, particularly among existing customers.
Bakingo has seen a similar split. “Reels generate discovery, but high-intent search and targeted email marketing have driven conversions, especially in the last 48 hours,” Chawla said.
Salty, meanwhile, has doubled down on creators. Garg has shared that short-form videos featuring candid reviews from smaller creators have driven trust and discovery, while CRM channels have remained effective for existing customers.
FlowerAura has summarised the season neatly: “Social builds emotion and intent, but search and app-based traffic close the sale, especially close to Valentine’s Day,” Sehgal said.
On the spend front, brands have shown a clear shift toward brand-building alongside performance.
Kanishka Garg, Co-founder, Salty, has shared directly, “So for us, the marketing spend usually was around 40% and around 50% of that goes into Valentine.”
“The share of spend that goes into brand marketing like non-performance marketing has significantly increased,” he added.
Joshi said, “Our top-funnel spends have remained roughly around 25%, but over the years performance spends have come down because brand loyalty has improved. Overall spends have remained largely similar to last year, but growth has come more from repeat customers and better conversion rather than just higher acquisition.”
Kumar from FNP, noted, “Our ad spends have increased year-on-year with a sharper focus on performance-led channels and digital-first activations. At the same time, customer satisfaction and experience remain key KPIs because retention has become just as important as acquisition during seasonal spikes like Valentine’s.”
After the Roses Wilt: Turning Valentine Buyers into Loyalists
The final test of Valentine’s marketing lies not on February 14, but on February 15 and beyond.
IGP has viewed Valentine’s as the first purchase moment in a longer relationship with flowers. “Repeat behaviour doesn’t start immediately. It shows up at Women’s Day, Mother’s Day, birthdays and anniversaries, and over time even moves into subscriptions,” Joshi said.
FNP has taken a similar long view. “Our Day 15 strategy starts on Day 0. If the experience is flawless, customers come back. That’s how we’ve built this brand for 31 years,” Kumar stated.
Bakingo has focused on continuity through innovation. “Post-Valentine’s, we maintain momentum through new products, personalised emails, loyalty rewards and milestone-based campaigns. This year, repeat purchasers have contributed 35–45% of sales,” Chawla said.
Salty has looked beyond the calendar entirely. Garg has shared that the brand has planned a full brand refresh, category-specific campaigns and offline expansion post-Valentine’s, aiming to move from event-led spikes to year-round relevance.
FlowerAura has closed the loop by reinforcing everyday gifting. “Our focus post-Valentine’s has been reminding customers that gifting isn’t seasonal. Through personalised nudges and consistent service, we aim to turn Valentine’s into a habit, not a memory,” Sehgal has said.
Valentine’s Week 2026 has revealed something quietly profound: love, when treated with nuance, sells better. Not louder. Not bigger. Just truer.
And in an industry once awash with clichés, that might be the most radical gesture of all.
