Emphasizing the 'E' in Eros.

There may be love in the air this Valentine's Day season, but apparently most small businesses owners in the US do not expect to find it in their cash registers.

According to the "2nd Annual Small Business Valentine's Day Outlook" survey from Constant Contact, while 55% of small business owners in America anticipated a strong Valentine's Day sales season in 2006, only 37% of them feel the same this year.

"This year's survey shows more conservative predictions among U.S. small business owners for Valentine's Day sales," said Gail Goodman, CEO of Constant Contact. "The good news is that US small business owners anticipate more online sales this Valentine's Day."

Despite a decline in optimism for 2007 Valentine's Day sales overall, 64% of small businesses expect stronger online sales this Valentine's Day.

In addition, the majority, 53%, plans to run special sales and marketing promotions, with online marketing methods largely favored over traditional print and advertising.

E-mail marketing ranked as the most popular promotional tactic method, cited by 66% of respondents, followed by other online methods, including paid search and banner ads.

As usual, flowers are expected to be the most popular gift item for the Valentine's season.

For more information on online retailing up north, read eMarketer's Canada B2C E-Commerce report.

Article Source: www.emarketer.com