ISN'T IT ROMANTIC? WOOING YOUR VALENTINE WILL MAKE BIG, FAT DENT IN YOUR BANK ACCOUNT.Byline: Brent Hopkins Staff Writer Gentlemen, if you're in love, prepare to drop at least a C-note for Valentine's Day Valentine's Day: see Saint Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day Lovers' holiday celebrated on February 14, the feast day of St. Valentine, one of two 3rd-century Roman martyrs of the same name. St. . The National Retail Federation predicts that men will spend an average of $125.96 on their partners. Women, however, will pay a comparatively paltry $38.22, the group said. Though fears of war and a continually challenged economy have scared many consumers away from stores, they're shopping with aplomb a·plomb n. Self-confident assurance; poise. See Synonyms at confidence. [French, from Old French a plomb, perpendicularly : a, according to (from Latin ad-; see this week. ``Valentine's Day is unlike any other holiday,'' said Brian Lane This article is about a fictional detective. Another Brian Lane is in a band called Brand New. Brian Lane is a character in BBC TV's detective show New Tricks. He is played by Alun Armstrong. , who co- owns Ventura's Atelier De Chocolat with his wife, Jane. ``People wait till the last minute to do their shopping, so it'll be busy up until 7 or 8 p.m. on Valentine's Day. It's amazing how many guys come in looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. anything you have.'' With business off 25 percent for the year, which he blames on the economy at large, the extra work will provide a nice boost for business. While critics decry de·cry tr.v. de·cried, de·cry·ing, de·cries 1. To condemn openly. 2. To depreciate (currency, for example) by official proclamation or by rumor. Valentine's Day as a corporate concoction, cooked up by card companies looking to commercialize love, NRF's spokesman Scott Krugman sees nothing wrong with that assessment. ``Men think of it as one day of amnesty for all the things they should have been doing the rest of the year,'' Krugman said. ``If that benefits retailers, so be it. Any opportunity to get a spike in sales for retailers is important right now, especially after a disappointing holiday season.'' That spike's going to be a little softer this year, he acknowledged, with men's average spending rate dipping from $158 last year. Women got a little more generous, however, raising their average purchase from $36. Once again, the economy gets the blame. But while the average ticket for romance might be lower, Malila Davalos isn't worried. She handles sales and marketing for the family-owned Silver King in Chatsworth, and she knows the last-minute rush will come today and Friday. Whether picking up a $5 pair of silver earrings or a customized $400 business card case, sweethearts keep buying, no matter what the Nasdaq's doing. ``It's slowed down a little, but people are still shopping,'' she said. ``It's human nature to want, want, want. Nothing stops that, not even a war.'' And they'll pay, pay, pay when it comes to Valentine's Day. If they'd ordered a dozen red roses from Sun Valley's Bardwell's Florist a week ago, they could have picked them up for $52.50. But by waiting, they fall prey to market forces that tack on another $20 to the tab. Though assistant manager Jocelyn Paris will do more business, she says the extra price won't go to her bottom line. ``With the increase in prices for everything, gas and flowers, all the costs go up,'' she said. ``All the family's in here, and we'll bring in 10 extra people over the several days - drivers, designers, people to go to the market for me, hallelujah Hallelujah (hăl'əl  `yə) or Alleluia (ăl–) [Heb.,=praise the Lord], joyful expression used in Hebrew worship; cf. Pss. .''
After the flowers have been delivered and the candy's out of the box, then there's a nice dinner out, which NRF NRF National Retail Federation NRF NATO Response Force NRF National Research Foundation (South Africa) NRF Neighbourhood Renewal Fund (urban renewal funding package in the UK) NRF Nouvelle Revue Française lists as the most popular gift. Whether paying $40 for California cuisine For the local cuisine of California, see cuisine of California. California Cuisine is a style of cuisine marked by an interest in "fusion"— integrating disparate cooking styles and ingredients— and is freshly prepared using local ingredients. at Stanley's in Sherman Oaks or $156 for a full spread at Bistro Gardens, couples will be cooing over candlelight all across town. ``It's romance - it's when the woman wants to be pampered pam·per tr.v. pam·pered, pam·per·ing, pam·pers 1. To treat with excessive indulgence: pampered their child. 2. and the man wants to show off how much he loves her,'' said Carolyn Niklas Pappas, owner of Bistro Garden, which is booked solid, four seatings per night, Thursday through Sunday. ``With the economy the way it is, people say, they're not doing anything else, let's just do this one night. Be thrifty, be careful, but for one time, be romantic. I've certainly seen that on my reservation books.'' John Webb John Webb may refer to:
forked - (Unix; probably after "fucked") Terminally slow, or dead. Originated when one system was slowed to a snail's pace by an inadvertent fork bomb. over $16 for a two-pound assortment of chocolates at the See's Candy shop on Vanowen Street in Reseda, the first of his gifts to his wife. ``I want to spend the night with my sweetheart,'' he grinned. CAPTION(S): 2 photos, box Photo: (1 -- color) At Atelier de Chocolat in Ventura, co-owner Brian Lane, center, helps Dave Palais buy a Valentine's gift as others browse. (2) Would your Valentine like a box of chocolates? Or jewelry? Or an evening with you at a pricey restaurant? Michael Owen
Box: The Price of Love Source: National Retail Federation, Daily News research Daily News |
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