ories: candy (57 per cent), greeting cards (40 per cent), flowers (37 per cent), an evening out (32 per cent), and jewelry (21 per cent).  According to the NRF and Prosper Insight & Analytics, consumers spent $25.9 billion on Valentine’s Day last year, up from $23.9 billion in 2022.  Judging by the chaos caused by the release of Stanley’s Valentine’s Day-themed release, it seems that 2024 is on track to perform just as well as the sales figures of 2023.  While the focus is still largely on those who are married, engaged, or simply in a romantic relationship, there is a growing market for “non-traditional” Valentine’s Day customers, such as those celebrating Galentine’s Day or those, like StockX’s recently launched campaign signifies, who want to share a love of collecting and style with a community of like-minded individuals.  On January 22, leading fashion and sneaker reseller StockX launched its “This is Love” campaign. The commercial features the eponymous song, most widely recognized from the 1950s Cinderella animated film, and creative images developed in collaboration with agency partners Lafayette American, production company m ss ng p eces (Missing Pieces), and director Thuan Tran. The landing page for the campaign includes the message: “There’s nothing like finding love. New or old, the rush and the butterflies are always exciting. This is Love is about celebrating the deep affection and appreciation our community has for their personal style and the items they love. Our mission is to help you chase that love now and forever.” Jamie Delaney, StockX’s creative director, said the campaign is about connecting with its community,  “We’re always working to level up the ways in which customers can interact and engage with the StockX brand – whether that be through social content, activations at cultural events, or improvements to the customer experience. This campaign serves as an extension of our brand narrative, a narrative that is rooted in trust and celebrates the love and passion of community.”  While the campaign was not released specifically for Valentine’s Day-related promotions, brands would do well to take a note from StockX’s book to focus on the increasing presence of self-love for this large-scale retail event versus just that of a coupled, romantic love.  The global brand campaign comes on the heels of a series of customer-focused enhancements that StockX launched in 2023. Last September, the company launched Xpress Ship, a new feature allowing customers to order select pre-verified items and receive delivery within three business days. Before that, StockX lowered fees for all sellers globally as part of its revamped seller program. Additionally, in early 2023, StockX introduced its new Buyer Promise policy, giving customers the option to return their purchase if the company makes a mistake. What retailers need to keep in mind this Valentine’s Day In a time where more consumers, especially millennials and Gen Z, are eschewing traditional views of marriage and relationships and are more interested in celebrating themselves, their friends, or their pets, retailers would be wise to broaden their campaigns and Shifting away from the cupids and lace-trimmed hearts and engaging with consumers on a personal level is where the offerings.  As Sarah Bills, creative director at Lafayette American, stated, “Trust can be a tricky thing. It’s not something you can force. Our approach was; ‘Don’t tell them how to feel, make them feel it’ via visuals that evoke a story, have a strong personal feeling that underscore authenticity in a gut-level way.”