Americans are opening their wallets to celebrate romance — and a lot of them are looking for experiences.
According to the National Retail Federation, people are expected to spend $23.9 billion this Valentine's Day. While candy, greeting cards, and flowers make the top three most popular gifts, experiences are growing in popularity. This year, 31 percent of respondents said they plan on gifting an activity, whether that's dinner out or tickets to see a show. It's up from just 24 percent in 2021.
"We've had a rough two years," said Junior's Restaurant owner Alan Rosen. "People are itching to get out, enjoy themselves. They want experiences. They want to go to famous restaurants. They want to go to places and travel, and, of course, have some great cheesecake with their loved ones."
The diner chain, famous for its cheesecake, is celebrating the holiday by offering vow renewals and weddings at its flagship location in Brooklyn, N.Y. Rosen even got ordained in order to facilitate the ceremonies. Three lucky couples who had Junior's-related love stories were gifted a New York City honeymoon, where they received tickets to a Broadway show, a hotel stay in the Big Apple, and other treats including Junior's cheesecake for life.
"Just in this recent weekend with the mask mandate being lifted, I think people felt a little bit overjoyed," Rosen said about business bounding back. "Obviously, Valentine's Day is a great time to celebrate."
James Stewart joins Cheddar to discuss his New York Times article on what really went on behind-the-scenes at Disney when Bob Iger took back his spot as CEO.
Steve Hill, CEO & President of Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, talks all things Sin City including transportation news, nightlife and the Sphere!
AI is revolutionizing credit scoring by analyzing diverse data sources, enhancing accuracy & financial inclusion for those lacking traditional credit histories.
Founder & CEO at Align Business Advisory, Dena Jalbert, joins Cheddar to discuss the future of the M&A space and which sectors to watch out for. Watch!
Working five days a week has long been the corporate cultural norm. But some companies are exploring the option of letting employees work four days a week.
After a two-year-long high, interest rates are coming back to earth. So what happens next? Plus: Boeing's woes, UAW may strike, and of course Elon's World.
