Female Group Chat: the Unsung Heroes of Modern Dating
A day to spoil your partner or the perfect marketing ploy, devised by restaurateurs and chocolate makers hoping to capitalize on those desperate to find a partner and prove their commitment? With many falling out of love with Valentine’s Day, the percentage of people that intend to celebrate dropped from 60% in 2013 to just 52% last year.
But rather than striking the day of love from the calendar, many are repurposing it as a day to celebrate friendship between women — Galentine’s Day.
Pure surveyed 2,000 women on their Valentine’s Day plans and the role their friends play in their love lives. With the results showing that gal pals are often there to help us pick a partner, overcome the hurdles of love, and decide when a relationship has run its course, friendship certainly deserves celebrating when it comes to love.
Key takeaways
- With just 14% of women feeling that Valentine’s Day matters ‘a lot’, 80% would be open to ditching their date to spend time with a female friend instead.
- For good reason — Friends are always there when you need them. Some 76% of women seek dating advice from their friends, while 66% consult their friendship group when considering whether to break up with a partner.
- Given this close relationship, a potential match doesn’t only have to convince a woman to capture her heart, but also her closest friends. One in five women wouldn’t date someone their friends don’t like, while 45% say it’s important their friends and flame get along.
PURE DATING — ANYTHING BUT BORING!
67% of women say Valentine's Day matters to them
The day of love (or just another day)?
The majority of women do enjoy Valentine’s Day, but being treated to lavish gifts and displays of affection won’t make or break most relationships. Just 14% of women say it matters ‘a lot’, with most stating that it doesn’t matter at all.
Celebrating the occasion might not matter to most, but canceling plans is likely to cause love’s flame to falter. While just 6% would break up with a partner over a canceled Valentine’s Day date, 36% would feel disappointed and a further 47% say the reason for standing them up would dictate their feelings.
49% of women in a relationship say Valentine's Day matters, compared to just 27% of single people
However, sentiment changes depending on a person’s relationship status. While 23% of those in monogamous relationships have strong feelings towards Valentine’s Day, just 12% of those in non-monogamous relationships feel the same way — With plenty of romance in their lives, who needs a specific day of the year to show affection, have fun, and get passionate?
1 in 5 women will celebrate Galentine's Day this year
Sisters over sweethearts: How women are putting friendship first
For many singletons, a Valentine’s Day without someone to share it with is nothing to get down about. Why? Because, no matter what, they will always have their gal pals by their side. It’s no wonder that 22% of women will celebrate Galentine’s Day this year, sharing the love with those they hold dearest.
80% of women would ditch a date if a female friend wanted to hang out on Valentine's Day
But it isn’t just on February 13th when many women would put friendship first — 15% of those in a relationship would skip a Valentine’s Day date to hang out with a friend, while 62% of women would cancel in a heartbeat if their friend was in need of a shoulder to cry on.
30% of women vibe with the “sisters before misters” saying
As the saying goes, “sisters before misters”. For 30% of women, it would take a strong relationship for them to put their friends second.
Why? Because friends are for life, not just a fling
Most women are happy to support a friend during their time of need because they know they will be there when problems arise in their own lives — Some 23% of women say they receive more support from their female friends than they do from their romantic partner.
Love (or lust) can often be blinding and an outside viewpoint is desperately needed to help us spot red flags or points of incompatibility. It’s no wonder that 76% of women seek dating advice from their female friends rather than blindly trusting their own hearts.
Our girl friends are there at the start to ensure a match is worthy of our time, and they’re there at the end to tell us when it’s time to call it quits. For 66% of women, their female friends hold the gavel in the court of love.
But most women aren’t just sharing their love lives with their friendship circle as romance blossoms and withers — They also discuss the action in between. True friends don’t keep secrets and for 85% of women, that includes all the juicy details of their sex lives.
50% think getting advice from your friends improves your dating life
Why? Because love is a minefield of emotions and spotting a dangerous step is hard when you’re focused on reaching the happy relationship on the other side. For 50% of women, being able to turn to friends for advice and support makes the dating scene a little bit easier to navigate.
Love’s wingwomen: The role of friends in choosing a date
Their profile might grab your eye and their looks cause your stomach to flutter. It might even be love at first sight… but, for 45% of women, a potential partner can’t just be the one for them. They also need to earn a right swipe from the friendship group.
If they don’t? For 15% of women, a disconnect between their pals and their partner is a dealbreaker. But for 59%, they face an uncomfortable choice between letting their heart lead or listening to their friends.
For many women, issues between BFF and BF or girlfriend and girl friends lead to a break up… but not between them and their romantic partner. Rather, 21% have had to part ways with a friend because the relationship was having a negative effect on their love life.
Unfortunately, love is rarely straightforward and conflicts are inevitable — but at least you know your friends will always be waiting to pick you up when a relationship breaks down.
Methodology: To create this study, researchers from Pure surveyed 2,000 women aged over 18 years old. The study includes participants from all geographies with no focus on particular ethnicities, sexualities or social backgrounds.