Male Ball State University students tend to wait until the last minute to shop for their Valentine, but make up for their procrastination with big ticket items, according to a recent study.
James Lowry, former professor of marketing and management, said after surveying Ball State students in marketing classes, he and other researchers found that men "tend to put things off a little more."
"Sometimes they don't like to shop for items for their partner," he said. "They don't know what to buy, so they need some motivation to draw them in."
That motivation comes from the holiday getting closer and closer, he said.
Carla Hickey, manager of the Hallmark Wooden Key store, said procrastinating could leave Valentine's shoppers with a slim selection.
"As shoppers wait longer they tend to buy whatever they can find," she said. "There's not a lot of thought put into it."
Lisa Pritchett, owner of Dandelions Flowers and Gifts, said she gets a rush of male customers on Valentine's Day.
"Men do not prepare like women," she said. "They usually don't order flowers until the day before or the day of."
The shop gets orders for flower arrangements and deliveries in advance, but most are ordered two to three days before Valentine's Day, she said.
Ordering at the last minute doesn't cost extra, but the recipient of the flowers might have to wait longer than those who ordered in advance, she said.
Not all men put their shopping off until the last minute, however.
Sophomore general studies major Kevin Borrell said he always shopped ahead of time for gifts for the holiday.
"I try to get something at least two weeks in advance," he said. "I just like to be prepared."
Lowry said the study also showed that men spend an average of twice as much as women on gifts for the holiday.
"[Men] don't want to show their partners that they're cheapskates," he said. "They sometimes feel love and affection can be expressed by giving valuable gifts."
Priscilla's manager Tabitha Golliher said she saw men buy more expensive gifts from the store than women around the holiday.
These gifts, however, might not have a lot of thought put into them, she said.
"[Men] tend to buy the closest thing to the register," she said. "They don't want to have to spend hours looking for something."
Borrell, however, said he thinks it's the thought that counts when it comes to the gifts.
"Expensive is expensive, but thoughtful gifts mean more," he said.
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