Welcome to the first part of our mini-guide to Valentine’s Day and where to get the best value when spending money on your loved one.
It’s the day of romance, where people across the world express their love for that special someone in their life… but speaking commercially, Valentine’s Day has become very big business. In the UK alone, spending is expected to top the £1 billion mark as couples splash out.
Of course in today’s online environment, shopping for the perfect present has become a lot easier and there seems to be a never-ending number of websites where you can spend your cash on a wide range of gifts including chocolates, cuddly toys, perfumes, lingerie, hotel breaks, champagne, and of course the classic red rose.
Remember the old slogan, “Say it with flowers”? A nice thought, but saying it with flowers on Valentine’s Day can be very expensive. So rather than “Pay it with flowers” Mr Lender have done some research to help you in a market where you’re spoilt for choice. We’ve put together a rundown of the deals, and a quick reference guide on how much it’ll cost you* to say it with flowers this February 14th. We’ve kept it simple, focusing on the traditional dozen (12), and two dozen (24) red roses.
Interflora
Probably the most well-known place to go if you’re looking to have flowers delivered. For Valentine’s Day Interflora’s bouquets only contain Freedom roses – generally considered a better breed of rose, with a larger flower head, brighter colour and longer shelf life. The cost for a dozen red roses is £44.99, with two dozen coming in at £84.99. On top of this there’s a delivery charge which starts at a basic £5.99 and goes up depending on whether you need your flowers delivered at a certain time of the day.
Asda
One of the major supermarkets to offer flowers on Valentine’s Day, 12 red roses will cost you £22. If you want 24 roses the price goes up to £36. Freedom roses are also on offer at Asda, priced at £40 for a dozen, and £60 for two dozen. All prices include free delivery.
Waitrose
Another supermarket with Valentine’s Day flower deliveries, you can get a dozen red roses for £24.50 (which includes £5 off). Two dozen will cost you £55.00 and if you want a better flower, Waitrose offer 12 ‘ultimate’ Naomi roses for £59. Like with Asda, delivery is free of charge.
M&S
Marks and Spencer are one of two department stores we’ve featured. A dozen ‘Fairtrade’ roses here will cost £22, or you can opt for 12 Freedom roses at £35, which includes a £5 discount. Two dozen Freedom roses will set you back £60; this also includes a £5 discount.
Debenhams
Here you have a couple of options; the more basic dozen red roses for £21.99 or the ‘deluxe’ dozen (better presented with cuttings of Salal and Eucalyptus cinerea) which will cost £29.99. Two dozen of the ‘deluxe’ option costs £49.99 and with all deliveries there is an additional charge of £2.99.
Moonpig
Originally a supplier of bespoke greetings cards, Moonpig now offer other gifts including Valentine’s Day roses. A dozen roses from here costs £25, and there’s also the option of Freedom roses with 12 costing £35 and 24 coming in at £60. The Freedom rose prices both include a £5 discount. Delivery is free of charge.
Costco
It may seem strange that a warehouse club such as Costco is coming into the Valentine’s Day market but in recent times they’ve started to sell goods online, both to members and non-members, and generally their prices offer really good value. At Costco there’s only one option though – two dozen Freedom roses – and the price is £44.89 which includes free delivery. If you’re a Costco member that’s the price you’ll pay, whereas if you’re not a member there’s a 5% surcharge of £2.24 which would mean a total cost of £47.13. Even with the surcharge included, this is more than 20% cheaper than the equivalent from the suppliers mentioned above.
Quick reference
Here’s a quick guide to the prices, sorted by cheapest first. Note that the type of rose will make a difference to the cost and you may want to go for the better quality, but here’s how it all stacks up…
12 red roses
| Supplier | Rose type | Price | Delivery | Total Cost |
| Asda | Standard | £22.00 | £0.00 | £22.00 |
| M&S | Fairtrade | £22.00 | £0.00 | £22.00 |
| Waitrose | Standard | £24.50 | £0.00 | £24.50 |
| Debenhams | Standard | £21.99 | £2.99 | £24.98 |
| Moonpig | Standard | £25.00 | £0.00 | £25.00 |
| Debenhams | Deluxe | £29.99 | £2.99 | £32.98 |
| M&S | Freedom | £35.00 | £0.00 | £35.00 |
| Moonpig | Freedom | £35.00 | £0.00 | £35.00 |
| Asda | Freedom | £40.00 | £0.00 | £40.00 |
| Interflora | Freedom | £44.99 | £5.99 | £50.98 |
| Waitrose | Naomi | £59.00 | £0.00 | £59.00 |
24 red roses
| Supplier | Rose type | Price | Delivery | Total Cost |
| Asda | Standard | £36.00 | £0.00 | £36.00 |
| Costco (see note) | Freedom | £44.89 | £0.00 | £44.89 |
| Debenhams | Deluxe | £49.99 | £2.99 | £52.98 |
| Waitrose | Standard | £55.00 | £0.00 | £55.00 |
| Asda | Freedom | £60.00 | £0.00 | £60.00 |
| M&S | Deluxe | £60.00 | £0.00 | £60.00 |
| Moonpig | Freedom | £60.00 | £0.00 | £60.00 |
| Interflora | Freedom | £84.99 | £5.99 | £90.98 |
Note: The Costco price shown is what Costco members pay. If you’re not a member there is a £2.24 surcharge which takes the overall cost to £47.13. This would still put Costco second cheapest in the list above.
* Prices shown are correct as of Tuesday 10 February 2015. They may change between this date and 14 February.
Mr Lender is a leading UK-based short-term credit provider. We provide payday loans and short-term loans of up to £1,000, repayable up to six months.
Warning: Late repayment can cause you serious money problems. For help go to moneyadviceservice.org.uk