Valentines Day, Commercialised Self Love & Me!

As the ever so dreadful 'V' day approaches, brands everywhere are rolling out discounts, gift guides and playing cupid with the subtlety of a heart-shaped neon sign.Meanwhile, I’m sitting here deep in the trenches of my single-hood (along with bunch of my girlfriends) seeing the anti-valentine, pro-single mindset sweep through like a cultural reckoning!

The rise of singlehood isn’t a trend it’s a takeover and I would be remiss not to talk about how it's shaping consumers and what brands need to be doing. One might think the approach is an anti-valentines day campagain but actually women today don't care about the bare minimum men are barely being able to offer. We're protecting our peace, working out and wokring on oursleves. It might seem trite but being able to buy yourself anything, take yourself out on dates and sponsor trips isn't trite.

Now, as a entrepreneur selling products primarily to women. I ask myself, what do I want to do with for my inner child with my adult money? It’s certainly not buy a Heart shaped bag or even a ‘Love Yourself’ Mug or Self care kit with a scented bath bomb. I don’t care for the commercialized, obligatory, transactional version of it that's been sold to us. What I want - what we want - is a feeling. 

A feeling of contentment, a feeling of independence, a feeling of choice, a feeling of loving myself wrapped in pure materialism, fulled by hedonism and shipped by shiprocket! 

Just in case this started sounding more like a confession from a shopaholic than a social commentary from a businesswoman, let me reel it in.  The rise of singlehood isn't just a personal choice, it's a cultural and economic shift that's reshaping consumer behavior in real time. Women with disposable income, emotional autonomy, and zero tolerance for BS are a massive market and if that sounds dramatic, it's because it is. When you've spent your whole life being told your value is tied to whether someone loves you, choosing to love yourself loudly, publicly, with a credit card in hand- is a revolutionary act!