Years ago hardly anyone in the Netherlands did anything about Valentine’s day. But greeting card makers, shop owners, barkeepers and the advertising industry have come to welcome February 14 as a great occasion for making money.

Statisticians are having a wonderful time as well. Research bureau Q&A found that 30% of the Dutch will mark Valentine’s day this year, up from 27% in 2007. But only 8% of them are sending a card to their secret love, down from 13% last year. And people are spending €4 less on presents says Q&A.
Staffing agency Unique polled 500 people on its website and conclude that 61% think its quite acceptable to flirt at work and 36% think it is ok to flirt with your boss.
Meanwhile mobile phone operator T Mobile says it expects to process 3.5 million text love messages, up from 2.1 million in 2006. Website Kadopagina.nl has sent out a press release saying men now account for 42% of Valentine gifts bought through its online shop, compared with 28% last year.
For those who have sent a card, however, a word of warning. It might well arrive late. TNT Post says it had to process some 600,000 extra items of post last night, and that its computerised sorting machines have trouble reading addresses on red envelopes.