Gifts ebb as years pass by

Sorry ladies, science has confirmed what you already know – if you've been married a few years your chances of getting a Valentines gift on Sunday are pretty remote.

Research showed that more than 80 per cent of men in new relationships buy their partner a Valentines Day gift, said University of Auckland Business School marketing expert Dr Mike Lee.

But just 44 per cent of those in longer relationships bought gifts for their long suffering partners, he said.

The findings come from a seven-year study on "retail resistance" by two US university researchers. They submitted a paper on the subject to the Journal of Business Research, edited by Lee.

He welcomed the news, being a self-confessed "Grinch" when it comes to Valentines gifts.

"I'm a bit cynical. It's just needless consumerism," he said.

Although he had only been married four years to wife Christina Ilse, he had never given his partner a Valentines gift.

He said it was usually awkward for men to bring up the suggestion of skipping Valentines gifts, but in his case his wife, a clinical psychologist, suggested they agree not to exchange gifts.

However, Lee was predicting retailers were likely to get a Valentines boost this year with the concept of gift-buying to celebrate Western festivals becoming increasingly popular in Asian communities. Fairfax

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