Jewelry stores and flower shops earn more profit around Valentine’s Day, but the gain is not comparable to the extreme revenue during the Christmas season.

Riddles Jewelry store in Ames is one business that is affected by the Valentine’s Day rush. In preparation for this busy time, Riddles focuses on lining up their Valentine’s Day-specific merchandise, such as heart-shaped jewelry.

“It makes me happy to make her happy,” said Jake Ruddy, a freshman in pre-architecture. He said that he has bought a necklace for his girlfriend for Valentine’s Day.

To attract more customers, Riddles Jewelry runs deals around Valentine’s Day. The deals are 30-50 percent off with 12-month financing. Manager of Riddles, Lane Jahn said that prices stay low around this time because he considers Valentine’s Day a “value holiday.”

Jewelry is not the only business that experiences an increase in traffic for Valentine’s Day — flower and gift shops like Mary Kay’s Flower and Gifts do as well.

Mary Kay’s gets ready by preparing special arrangements of red roses made specifically for Valentine’s Day. Anticipating more business, a dozen red roses is priced at $75, rather than the normal $60.

James McConnell, freshman in pre-business said that he has spent over $50 on flowers for his girlfriend.

Both Riddles and Mary Kay’s value quality over quantity.

Riddles does not provide extra staffing around Valentine’s Day. Jahn said jewelry salesmen require a high level of training nearly on par with that of medical salesmen. Because of this, the business sticks with staffing skilled workers.

In contrast, Mary Kay’s staffs extra workers around Valentine’s Day. Manager of the business Melanie Cornwell said her store needs the extra workers in order to fulfill the extra demand. This extra staffing does not hurt Mary Kay’s financially because of their extra sales.

Although the Valentine’s Day can be a hectic time, both Jahn and Cornwell said that they find joy in helping people with their romantic planning.

Jahn said he loves being able to come through and provide the perfect gift for people when other stores cannot. He also said he enjoys the process of preparation for Valentine’s Day.

Cornwell said she enjoys Valentine’s Day because it is a fun and joyful holiday. She said she loves bringing a smile to someone’s face through the universal gift of flowers.

“Valentine’s Day is a day for you to show your true love for your significant other,” McConnell said. “Giving a gift like flowers or jewelry is a great way to express that love to them.”