Selling romance: How fashion merchandising shapes the way we shop

Valentine’s Day is probably not the best holiday to just grab a gift card from your local grocery store and slap a bow on it. Ideally, the gift you purchase for your loved one is supposed to show how much you care.

Fashion retailers know this, and they’re only too happy to oblige, proffering special Valentine’s collections and items that feature romantic colors and luxurious textures — all of which enhances emotional appeal and makes products feel more special and gift-worthy. Because ultimately, consumers are not just buying clothes or earrings; they’re buying emotional meaning, romantic symbolism and participation in a shared cultural ritual.

“Valentine’s Day fashion purchases are definitely driven more by emotional and symbolic needs than by practicality,” said Nicole Craig, an instructor at ASU FIDM. “Shoppers are trying to satisfy feelings of love, connection, reassurance and romantic identity when they buy apparel, jewelry or accessories for this holiday. It’s also communicating to the world, ‘I’m part of a couple.’”

Craig began her career working in corporate buying, merchandising, product development and licensing, with extensive experience in the intimate apparel market, including senior roles at private-label companies serving large retail stores.

Her extensive experience in the fashion industry fueled her commitment to teaching sustainable fashion practices at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, and later at ASU FIDM. She also teaches courses for the online fashion (merchandising) degree program through ASU Online.

“(Valentine’s Day) gifts need to be personal,” Craig said. “They need to communicate affection, thoughtfulness and commitment.”

But how much of a role does savvy fashion merchandising really play in the purchasing of such a gift? ASU News spoke to Craig to find out.

Note: Answers have been edited for length and/or clarity.

Question: What role do in-store and digital visual merchandising play in creating a sense of urgency or emotional connection during short-window holidays like Valentine’s Day? 

Answer: In-store and digital visual merchandising play a major role in creating urgency and emotional connection during short-window holidays like Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day occurs just six weeks into the new year, and realistically, the majority of shopping takes place in a two- or maybe three-week window before Feb. 14, with the biggest shopping rush in the last week.

In physical stores, romantic window displays, red-and-pink color stories, heart motifs and gift-focused product groupings visually signal that the holiday is time-limited and emotionally important. Retail brands use themed signage, mannequin styling and dedicated Valentine’s sections to frame products as special, gift-worthy and available for a limited time.

Digitally, department stores such as Nordstrom and Macy’s, and brands like Tiffany & Co., Target, Victoria’s Secret and Aerie, use Valentine-themed landing pages, curated gift guides and limited-edition drops to create emotional appeal and simplify decision-making. Countdown timers, “Valentine’s collection” banners and exclusive online assortments reinforce the sense of urgency and scarcity.

On social media, influencers post Valentine’s “hauls,” shopping guides, styling videos and countdown content on TikTok and Instagram, framing products as must-have symbols of love or self-care.

Together, visual merchandising and social media turn Valentine’s Day shopping into an emotionally charged, time-sensitive experience that drives impulse buying and emotional engagement. These tactics tap into scarcity theory and FOMO (fear of missing out), which increases perceived value and pressures shoppers to act quickly. They also align with hedonic consumption, as shoppers are drawn to the emotional pleasure and romantic fantasy created by the visual environment.

Q: Can you expand on how limited editions or curated gifting collections heighten impulse buying?

A: Gifting is always an important part of retail. Specific merchandising cues such as limited-edition products and curated gifting collections significantly heighten impulse buying at any time, but especially during themed retail moments like Valentine’s Day.

Curated gifting collections reduce decision fatigue by offering preselected assortments that make purchasing feel easy, thoughtful and emotionally safe.

Gen Z and Millennials tend to respond to these cues differently. Gen Z is especially driven by hype culture, exclusivity and viral trends, making them more likely to impulse-buy limited drops promoted as “only available this week” or “TikTok-famous.” Millennials, by contrast, are more influenced by convenience, giftability and emotional reassurance, making them more responsive to curated gift sets, premium packaging and messaging around being a thoughtful partner.

Social media and influencer marketing amplify these effects by creating real-time urgency and emotional validation.

Q: How are Gen Z and Millennials reshaping the emotional language of Valentine’s Day fashion, especially around inclusivity and self-love?

A: ​​I think in this case, you can’t lump Gen Z and Millennials together, because they are at different stages in their lives, and there are generational differences. Gen Z and Millennials don’t necessarily view Valentine’s Day in the same way. There are some similarities, such as both value inclusivity and emotional meaning.

Millennials, however, are more likely to treat Valentine’s Day as a relationship-centered holiday focused on romantic gestures, gifting and traditional couple activities, often shaped by life stages such as long-term partnerships or marriage. A lot of them are partnered up and settled down. Many of them have children or are starting to think about having children. They are looking to inject a little romance into their life for the day, even if it’s coming from a “manufactured, Hallmark holiday.”

From a fashion merchandising perspective, brands should cater to Millennials with classic romantic aesthetics, giftable fashion items, couple-oriented promotions and premium packaging.

Gen Z, by contrast, views Valentine’s Day more flexibly, emphasizing self-love, friendship and chosen family rather than only romantic relationships. They are in a different life phase than Millennials. Especially for the younger end of Gen Z, it wasn’t that long ago that they were trading Valentine’s Day cards in elementary school, and so the friendship aspect of the holiday is still there. 

For Gen Z, brands should focus on gender-neutral styles, playful or ironic designs, inclusive sizing and messaging around self-love and individuality, in addition to romance.

Q: How does the concept of “buying emotions, not products” show up specifically in fashion merchandising around love-themed holidays?

A: The concept of “buying emotions, not products” is clearly reflected in how fashion is merchandised for Valentine’s Day. Brands use romantic colors, soft fabrics, heart motifs and sensual or cozy silhouettes to turn everyday apparel into symbols of love, intimacy and self-care. Limited-edition Valentine’s collections, giftable packaging and romantic visual merchandising frame products as emotional tokens rather than purely functional items.

From a consumer psychology perspective, this reflects hedonic consumption, in which shoppers seek pleasure, fantasy and emotional gratification over utility. It also aligns with symbolic interaction theory, as consumers use fashion gifts to communicate affection, commitment and personal meaning within relationships. Even basic items like pajamas, coffee mugs, socks or hoodies are rebranded as expressions of romance or self-love. In this way, consumers are purchasing emotional reassurance, symbolic meaning and participation in a cultural ritual.

It’s also important to note that for Valentine’s Day 2026, the holiday falls on a Saturday. Traditionally, in fashion retail, when Valentine’s Day falls on a Friday or Saturday night, there is much more pressure on consumers to make a big deal out of it. When Valentine’s Day falls on a Tuesday, holiday spending is much lighter — there isn’t a big push to make a Tuesday night an “evening to remember.” People have jobs, school or other life pressures during the week. But when Valentine’s Day falls on a Friday or Saturday night, the expectations are much higher to pull out all the stops. So we see higher reservation counts at romantic restaurants, more weekend hotel getaways and higher spending on gifts in general.

Q: You’ve talked about color palettes and fabric choices used in these collections. What role do those play in tapping into emotional triggers?

A: Romantic color palettes like red, blush, burgundy and soft pink are culturally associated with love and passion, making products feel emotionally charged and gift-worthy.

Brands such as Skims, Savage X Fenty and Victoria’s Secret use tactile fabrics like satin, lace, velvet and soft knits to enhance sensory appeal and evoke feelings of luxury, softness and physical closeness. Jewelry brands such as Tiffany & Co., Swarovski or Pandora offer special Valentine’s Day pieces as part of their collections.

And silhouettes shape emotional responses: form-fitting or lingerie-inspired styles signal intimacy and desirability, while relaxed loungewear and cozy fits promote comfort and self-love.

From a visual merchandising perspective, retailers reinforce these emotions through heart motifs, romantic lighting, floral elements and red-and-pink window displays that create a dreamy, love-themed atmosphere. Styled mannequins, coordinated color stories and gift-focused product groupings further frame items as emotional symbols rather than everyday apparel. 

Together, these design and display choices allow fashion brands to sell romance, confidence and emotional connection, not just clothing.