Valentines Day for Spenders

By Westbrook Shortell

Sweets For Your Sweet?

With Macy's laying off close to 2000 workers in the month of January, national retaliers are feeling the effect of a slowing economy. Central New York Businesses are hoping for everything to comes up roses for them this February 14th. Valentines day is a time to get sweets for your sweet, but would a slowing economy make this year's chocolate go bad? Stores in Central New York say lower consumer spending is not a problem this year.
Michele Michele Hicks, President of Something Different, builds custom baskets for any occasion. She's more worried about the Central New York weather slowing people down than state of the economy. "We don't anticipate the economy to affect us at all , in fact we worry more about the weather affecting us and our deliveries and people coming to our store than the economy."

Winter Weather Worries

As Michele said, its actually the Winter weather that has people worried. Dino Centra is the manager of Westcott florist and he says when its horrible outside, its harder to make deliveries and if its harder to make deliveries a business can't make money. Last year, a huge snow storm accompanied the beating of Cupids wings, making it extra difficult to make flower deliveries. Centra counts on those deliveries to people's work to bring in a lot of money. People want to get that big reaction of, "Oh look at the size of the flowers they have." But he is expecting really good business with orders coming in by the numbers.

Pizza With The Works Takes On A Whole New Meaning.

The Chocolate Pizza Company in Marcellus specializes in a sweeter version of pizza and wings that get sent all over the world. Bonnie Hanyak has been running the company for the past twenty years. She has been featured on the Food Network numerous times and makes chocolate pizza and wings that go all over the world. Hanyak said "Our pizzas have gone to every state, they've gone to Japan, France, DenmarkOur pizzas have gone to every state, they've gone to Japan, France, Denmark." And like the other business owners, its not a slowing economy that may slow her business, its the shipping. With her products made of chocolate, she can only overnight deliver pizza and wings, or else they'll melt. Like Centra, Hankyak said she has been working overtime. She has been receiving orders for Valentine's Day since Christmas. She can make close to 200 pizzas a day, but with a heart shape for V-day.

Struck By Cupids Arrow?

Overall, Central New York Businesses seem to be doing just fine. According to the National Retail Federation's survey, the average consumer will spend close to 123 dollars this year, up from last year's 120 dollars. Centra, Hicks and Hanyak all said people are willing to spend whatever it takes on Valentine's day, to show their significant other how much they care.