Valentine's Day business stories

Ahh, Valentine’s Day. The day that loved ones are supposed to show their affection for each other, and business sections are supposed to write smushy stories about the increase in business done by flower shops, restaurants, card shops and other establishments that see a boon in business every single Feb. 14.

Here are some examples:

1. The St. Paul Pioneer Press focused on a flower shop that was victimized by a burglary and an arson last week and how it has recouped its business. Wrote Aron Kahn, “First, customers who refused to let go of Petersen Flowers besieged the shop’s temporary quarters — a trailer outside the burned building — with orders, doubling the store’s usual Valentine’s Day business.

“Then, police announced the arrest of a man believed to be the burglar and arsonist. Police said Vaughn James Yaints, 47, confessed to burglarizing 60 area businesses in recent years, including the flower shop.”

2. The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle went for your basic Valentine’s Day story, noting statistics from the National Retail Federation, that well-respected organization (note sarcasm here) that duped retail reporters during Christmas to write about online shopping.

Writer Nishad Majmudar began the story: “Many area businesses, from florists to candy shops, will be getting a whole lotta love this Valentine’s Day.

“According to the National Retail Federation, a retail industry trade group, the average consumer celebrating the holiday will spend $100.89 on a Valentine’s gift or celebration, an increase of about 4 percent from last year.

“Overall, that means consumers nationwide will spend close to $14 billion this Valentine’s Day.”

3. Susan Ruttan, a staff writer for the Edmonton Journal, found an interesting twist. She wrote: “EDMONTON — The phone in Kerry Sylvester’s flower shop is ringing off the hook, but not with the Valentine’s Day business she’d like to have.

“Instead, she’s getting as many as 60 calls a day from Americans with questions about their health insurance.

“The 1-800 number for her Cactus Flower House in the Strathearn neighbourhood was accidentally printed in a booklet sent out in January to 260,000 customers of a giant U.S. health insurance company called Health Net Inc.”

For an assortment of Valentine’s Day business stories published in newspapers, check out the Norman Transcript, the Dayton Business Journal, and the Wilmington News Journal.