With Valentine's Day falling on a Sunday this year, demand for champagne is predicted to rise by 150 per cent, compared to a normal weekend, according to British supermarket Tesco.
Demand for luxury food and drinks is set to soar this weekend, said Tesco champagne buyer Rob Dixon, with many set to enjoy a day of being pampered by loved ones.
Based on previous Valentine’s Day shopping habits, Tesco predicts that demand for oysters will rocket by 500 per cent.
“Of course, oysters go perfectly with champagne,” said Dixon.
The grocery retailer has ordered in extra oysters this year as they are traditionally one of its "top sellers in advance of Valentine’s Day", he added.
Meanwhile, Tesco predicts that steak will be the main meal served today with sales expected to soar by 40 per cent.
The supermarket also predicts a boost in demand for other gastronomic delights with sales of box of chocolates set to rise by more than 120 per cent when compared to a normal weekend, sparkling wine sales to rise by 100 per cent, demand for smoked salmon to increase by 30 per cent, and sales of prawns set to rise by 20 per cent.
Grocery retailers are also set to enjoy a sales boost in non-food categories this Valentine's weekend.
Tesco is also selling single printed red roses this weekend. The roses, being sold exclusively by Tesco for £2.50 each, have the words ‘I love you’ printed in white ink on one petal.
Speaking on the innovative offering, Tesco flower buying manager Harriet Turnbull said, “Flowers with printed messages are already very popular in Europe and America, so this is a trial for us to see how well they go down with UK shoppers.”
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