Nanigans released some research this week about online shopping ahead of Valentine’s Day – specifically the role of Facebook ads. They looked at patterns from last year, finding that men are last minute shoppers, for one.

“If there is a day outside of Christmas where a sizable percentage of Americans are expecting gifts, it’s Valentine’s Day,” writes Andrew Waber, Nanigans Market Insights and Media Relations Manager. “But unlike the holiday season where most Americans make their purchases weeks or months in advance, U.S. purchase and ad spend data indicate that advertisers are most focused on — and see the best results from — last-minute Valentine’s Day shoppers.”

Last year, Nanigans says ecommerce purchase raes from Facebook ads rose by 47% during Valentine’s Day week. Return on ad spend climbed 84%.

Waber adds, “Of course, all advertisers are expecting active shoppers during this period, so where is the remaining opportunity? Let’s look at the changes in purchases and advertiser spend the week of Valentine’s Day as compared to the same day during the surrounding two weeks. Notably, the number of daily purchases rises pretty significantly early in Valentine’s Day week, but advertiser spend doesn’t begin to truly mirror that activity until February 11th.”

Take a look at this post from Andrew Waber for additional insights.

Images via Facebook, Nanigans