Retailers woo shoppers for Valentine
Upmarket department store group Selfridges has unveiled its Love Bubble promotion, part of its Valentine's Day area, in an effort to capture the burgeoning spend on Valentine gifts.

'A selection of the UK's finest eligible bachelors have enclosed themselves in a giant Love Bubble, hoping this will help them find the perfect girl,' said the retailer of the latest publicity stunt, in association with dating web site Match.com, at its Oxford Street store.

Female shoppers can e-mail the bachelors their favourite chat-up lines through in-store computer terminals and the girl that most impresses will receive an all-expenses-paid date in London.

The retailer is also offering the services of Valentine's Day gift gurus, who are 'experts in the art of gift buying'. The advisers are free and will be on hand to help customers find that perfect gift. Romantics can also post messages on an in-store Love Wall, with donations going to the British Heart Foundation.

Elsewhere, Asda is turning its greeters into 'love doctors', the New West End Company is running a treasure hunt around Oxford Street with radio station Heart FM and Hamleys is to serenade customers with a giant bear.

M&S is introducing man-to-man advice on lingerie gifts at 13 stores across the UK and the Republic of Ireland in the run-up to Valentine's Day. Trained advisers - 'Cupid's beaus' - will be on hand to guide male shoppers.

In today's Retail Week, a full report on how retailers are capitalising on special events across the calendar.