Valentine's Day: Toss the cliché candy and roses, women say

We will respectfully disagree that there's anything wrong with chocolate.

By Kristin Wong Feb 1, 2013 4:46PM

Attention, men. When it comes to Valentine's Day, it might be time to think outside the box. Apparently, the standard flowers and chocolate gifts just aren't cutting it anymore.

A few recent surveys have found that women aren't particularly fond of traditional Valentine's Day presents.

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Flower retailer ProFlowers, for example, recently conducted a survey that found only 18 percent of women want red roses for Valentine's Day. In fact, only 40 percent want roses at all.

The Heart Beat talked to Greg Smith, VP of Merchandising for ProFlowers. He explained that over half of women found red roses either cliché or thoughtless:

"Thirty-one percent of women think that red roses are cliché and prefer a different kind of flower, such as a mixed bouquet, or a different color of rose. Some women, (21%), said that giving or sending red roses doesn't require any thought. Overall, women want their men to be more thoughtful in their gifts."

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Last year, dating site Zoosk released a similar poll. In their survey, 58 percent of women said Valentine's Day flowers and chocolates are too cliché.

Flowers, maybe. But chocolate? Let's not get crazy now.

There's a fine line between traditional and tired. It's always not easy to balance timelessness with creativity. So how do you freshen up a classic? Smith offered some easy ways to switch it up this year:

"It would be a nice touch to send pink roses, for example, if she loves the color pink…Tulips are also a great option as they are in season and available in a variety of colors. Orchids scored high in the survey as well. "

Also, 24 percent of women surveyed preferred a mixed flower bouquet.

Another interesting finding that might be of help:

"We’ve discovered from the survey that single women who have never been married prefer red roses over those who are married, living with their partner or divorced," Smith told us. "Older women generally prefer mixed flower bouquets over roses."

Roses and candy might be cliché, but there's one timeless classic women never tire of: cards. Zoosk's survey found that 65 percent of women still love a good, old-fashioned sappy Valentine's Day card.

What do you think--are roses and candy cliché? What do you plan to give for Valentine's Day this year?

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