Nearly a quarter (23%) of consumers plan to shop online for Valentine's Day gifts, with nine percent reporting they will spend more money online for gifts compared to last year, according to a new survey by eBillme and Javelin Strategy & Research.

Javelin surveyed 1,200 consumers to measure projected online spending for the quarter and found consumers plan to spend an average of $236 online which is in line with spending levels from Q1 2009.

The survey found the majority of consumers will shop for gifts other than traditional flowers and chocolates. In addition nearly half (47%) of respondents indicated they don't    know what gifts to purchase for Valentine's Day.

"Valentine's Day is an opportunity for retailers to build on holiday sales," says Samer Forzley, Vice President of Marketing for eBillme.

"The number of consumers planning to shop online for Valentine's gifts and spend more than last year is encouraging news for the eCommerce industry. It's interesting to see that consumers are looking towards more non-traditional gifts this year but are still in the dark about they will be purchasing. For e-tailers, this means there is still time to market and capture these undecided sales."

Other highlights from the survey include:

•     50 percent of males are unsure about Valentines Day gifts for her.
•     45 percent of females are unsure about Valentines Day gifts for him.
•     Consumers who are married or living with their partners responded with more uncertainty.
•     Consumers become more certain about what to purchase with age. 65-year-old consumers and older responded with more certainty than consumers in the younger demographics.
   

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