Same Cliche, Different Valentine’s Day; Sam Goody Survey Shows Lack of Planning Leads to Old Stand-by Dates and Gifts

MINNEAPOLIS -- February 1, 2005 -- With a little less than two weeks before Valentine’s Day, a recent survey from Sam Goody stores shows how much date planning sweethearts are doing for the special day, close to none. One third of survey respondents stated they don’t plan for Valentine’s Day, which means cliche gifts such as candy and flowers will, once again, save the day.


Entertainment is becoming an increasingly important part of the day with a majority of survey participants, 37 percent, preferring to see a movie to other Valentine’s Day activities. When asked what gift they would rather receive instead of candy and cards, 31 percent wanted the gift of music, while 23 percent preferred their favorite movie on DVD.

Other survey findings include:

-- It is no surprise that 54 percent will spend the day with their significant others and 22 percent will be with their friends. A little more surprising is 21 percent will spend Valentine’s Day alone.

-- The song that most typifies survey respondents’ Valentine’s Day is, “I Live for Your Love” by Natalie Cole. “Tonight, I Celebrate My Love” by Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack, and “Heaven in Your Arms” by R.J.’s Latest Arrival, tied for second place.

-- When asked why they celebrate Valentine’s Day, 41 percent of participants stated, “Because it was a day to celebrate their lovers,” 32 percent, “Because they liked Valentine’s Day” and 16 percent said, “Because they are forced to (surprisingly, one percent more women gave this answer than men).”

Find more humorous Valentine’s Day information on Sam Goody’s spoof Valentine’s Day site, CrankyCupid.com. The site offers visitors realistic advice and observations on love, survey results showing what people really think of Valentine’s Day, humorous blog entries and break up lines to get the point across. For the romantically-challenged, the site also has entertainment help including top love songs, a music personality assessment to help set the mood and compromise DVDs to keep harmony on Valentine’s Day. And, if you’re a victim of an unplanned Valentine’s Day gone really bad, the site is hosting a national sweepstakes, starting on Valentine’s Day, in search of bad-date stories.

About Musicland

Musicland Group Inc. is a leading national specialty retailer of music, movies and games that appeal to trend-conscious, entertainment-focused consumers. The company is expanding and diversifying its key entertainment offerings to satisfy the changing needs of its consumers. Musicland operates more than 900 retail stores and online under the names Sam Goody (samgoody.com), Media Play (mediaplay.com) and Suncoast Motion Picture Company (suncoast.com) in 48 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Contact Information

Donna Beadle

PR

Musicland Group, Minneapolis

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