Valentine's - the good, the bad and the ugly

Fiona Galea Debono looks into the battle between the bear, babydoll, bunch of flowers and box of chocolates. Who wants what and why? And is there anyone with an original idea out there?

Republic Street in Valletta on the eve of Valentine's Day... Everything red makes it to the shop window in a desperate attempt to portray itself as the ideal Valentine's gift. But it takes more than the colour of passion, anger, danger and sex - although these may also be key elements of the love that is supposed to be celebrated tomorrow.

Other than red, the gift should be in the form of a soft toy, lingerie, a rose, or a truffle. These are the presents that seem to make the grade, and the more feathers, fur, hearts and horns they are accompanied with, the better, it seems.

A 31-year-old man from Swieqi opts for flowers. "It's what she wants, not what I would necessarily go for," he winks, pointing at the lingerie...

"With flowers, you can't go wrong," he continues, knowing the flower vendor always helps him out.

Another 35-year-old from Balzan is adding the chocolates to the roses. It's about "old school", not "easy way out", he argues.

He can head straight for the aptly named Valentino chocolatiere, which experiences an increase in sales of 40 per cent over the period, packaging its orangettes in bite-size pink and red boxes.

"It's the box that does the trick," says owner Maria Bacic. But chocolates do not suffer seasonality, and soon they'll be adorned with chickens and bunnies, still getting away with their Easter disguise.

Another self-confessed traditional man is Vince Farrugia, the general secretary of the Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises - GRTU. For a change, he's not looking at the business side of things and is following his heart. After all, he claims to be an old-fashioned romantic.

"I buy jewellery. It's what she likes. I used to risk when I was younger and I understood her dress sense, for example, more. Jewels are the easiest, plus they fit in my pocket. Today the choice is wide, but I'm not following the trends," he says.

The stationer too is selling all things Valentine's, including naughty games and furry handcuffs, but it's the cards that sell like hotcakes, says the salesgirl.

As to the buyers, if it's two weeks before February 14, it's the girls who are doing the shopping, and if it's two days - or even 10 minutes - before, it's the guys, she says.

With the credit crunch also seeping into the love market, presents are sometimes being skipped and cards settled for instead. "We've decided with our partners to stick to cards this time," say two fiancées, who have other commitments. One is doing up her home and the other is about to buy one, so they're being careful with their finances.

Adverts of raunchy lingerie have splashed the papers, and sales do pick up before Valentine's Day, confirms La Senza director Solange Grech, who is selling lots of babydolls. But the twist is that it's the women who are buying them, not the men!

"It's the girls who are coming in alone, discreetly and innocently, to buy them - probably with the aim to surprise. They even came in the rain... The few men who do come seem shy and stressed; they stand at the entrance, not quite sure what to do...

"We've got a vaster range of babydolls at the moment - red, lacy and sexy. And their shelf life isn't that short: after Valentine's, they double for hen's parties as the wedding season rolls in."

The flower vendor, whose stand is no longer sitting on a potential quarry in St John Square, blames the cold weather - and not cold hearts - for a slowdown in sales. He normally has around 300 orders for deliveries.

Even the roses have a twist to their tale, attesting to another shift in shopping trends: it's not just the men who buy them. "With time, we've witnessed more women buying flowers for their partners."

They go for the blue roses but it's not necessarily the romance in the air that spurs the purchase. "They do it to embarrass their partners," he says, having overheard the whispers between the women.

And if you want to avoid the clichés and go for the innovative, look out for a "heat change message mug". Just add hot water, and a love message emerges. It may not be the most personal and may verge on the corny, but it's a surefire way of turning up the heat. At the very least, you're bound to warm your partners' hands, if not their hearts.