Love was most certainly in the air in the run-up to Valentine's Day, with sales booming according to retailers across the board.

The traditional chocolates-and-flowers combination proved to be a big hit as always among shoppers, while jewellery and romantic meals also attracted those splashing out on their loved ones.

But there was a mixture in the pattern of trade, with some vendors experiencing a steady flow of business, while others reported a sudden flurry of last-minute activity.

George Grundmuller, president and CEO of Phoenix Stores Ltd., which includes Brown & Co. and P-Tech, said sales had gone well, particularly in chocolates.

"Valentine's Day is really the time for us," he said. "We are selling lots of chocolate and flowers the biggest sellers of all, of course, are chocolates it is still considered a traditional Valentine's Day gift

"Chocolate hearts and small gifts with designs on them are particularly popular with the children and we have sold out of single stem flowers because children buy them for their parents and for their teachers." And he reckons Valentine's Day really caught the imagination of the young and old alike this year, with a lot of trade being done on the day itself.

"I think Valentine's does have universal appeal because the children buy for their mums and dads and grandparents and teachers and friends and the adults buy more for their loved ones, with chocolate being truly the number one gift for us," she said

"In our Front Street operations, we have done a good trade in books and with the perfumes and jewellery, while cards always do well, as well.

"Rachel Smith, head designer at Demco Florist in South Road, Devonshire, said said the shop's staff had been working round the clock to meet the demand for flowers. "The biggest sellers have been the usual red roses, tulips are

"We do a lot of mixed flowers, vases and that sort of thing as well.

"We did a promotion with Bristol Cellars, who did the champagne, and we did the roses, and they were delivered by men in tuxedos. We have got queues of men going right the way out of the door at the moment.

"Meanwhile, she claimed there was a late rush for deliveries to sweethearts.

"We do get a lot of last-minute people phoning up seeing if they can have a delivery," she said.

"We have done 350 deliveries today alone and I think sales are up on last year.

"Pierangelo Lanfranchi, manager and partner at Harbourfront Restaurant, said the restaurant was completely sold out from an early stage.

"The restaurant has been tremendously busy with the Valentine's Day reservations," he said

."People have been trying to call for the last two or three days to get in here, but we have been sold out for quite a while.

"People are very enthusiastic about Valentine's Day and tonight is a big deal, but any night can be the busiest night of the year, not just on Valentine's Day, and it can be full in here.

"And the layout of restaurant was specially changed to create the perfect romantic setting for love-struck couples.

"The layout will change because there will be a lot more couples than groups of people and there is more of a romantic and personal atmosphere," he said.

Susan Millar, vice-president and general manager of Crissons Jewellers, said that business had been very brisk. "We have a sale going on here for this week and a real cross-section of jewellery has been selling, especially diamond jewellery and obviously anything with hearts on, " she said.

"It has been pretty steady, but it is not typical business because we are running a sale, but from day one it has been very good.

"I would say there has been an improvement in sales compared to previous years.