The 2023 Valentine’s Day shopping scene showed a clear tilt toward gadgets, especially wireless headphones and smart speakers. In MegaFon’s analysis of its online store, wireless headphones captured the top spot, with more than half of the eve purchases falling into this category. The insights come from a closer look at gadget sales right before February 14, revealing a trend that resonated across the market and highlighted how consumers approached gift decisions during the holiday rush.
Even as the season built momentum, gadget sales in the MegaFon online shop continued to rise, marking a 20% increase on the eve of the holiday. The data reflect a shift from the previous year, where Apple smartphones led the way in both men’s and women’s purchases up to February 14. This year saw buyers gravitating toward more affordable options from brands such as Honor, JBL, and Xiaomi, with Apple dropping to fourth in the overall popularity ranking for gifts.
Smart speakers occupied the second position in the Valentine’s Day lineup. Within this category, the Yandex. Station stood out as the leader, while male shoppers tended to gift the higher-end Max model or another premium option, and female shoppers showed a stronger preference for the Mini version.
Smartwatches rounded out the top three, with Apple Watch maintaining a dominant presence in the wearable segment. The smartwatch category continues to account for roughly four-fifths of sales, underscoring a continued appetite for health, fitness, and connected devices.
Over the past year, Valentine’s Day product choices have shifted significantly. Looking back to the 2022 season, buyers primarily favored smartphones, smart watches, and laptops in the lead-up to the holiday.
A notable pattern emerged in spending: men tended to be more budget-conscious, with their average purchase amount about 5% lower than that of women, signaling different gift strategies and price expectations between genders.