Love is in the air, but you may have to spend a bit more this year on that special someone for Valentine’s Day.

Taste of Heaven Chocolates, a local small business in Perrysburg, is trying to keep prices low amid rising costs.

“We’re locally owned and we’re not a big box chain,” said Lisa Harris, the shop’s owner. “Everything we do is in-house, homemade and hand dipped.”

Harris is preparing for another Valentine’s Day and is ready for customers sent in by Cupid.

She says her business has something for everyone.

“It just depends on the type of chocolate somebody wants. Milk, we have dark, we have white, so we just have a huge variety for everybody’s needs,” she said.

No matter who you’re shopping for this Valentine’s Day, be prepared to pay more as the United States Department of Agriculture says food prices are expected to increase by 1.3% this year.

Further, the Associated Press reported in a February 2024 article Hershey is cautioning its 2024 profit growth as cocoa prices rise and are leading to higher chocolate prices. In addition, cocoa futures prices have doubled within the past year, the AP also reported.

While the price of nearly everything has gone up, Harris said that’s not the case at her shop right now.

“I bought this shop four years ago and the prices are still the same,” she said.

However, in general, consumers are still digging deep into their pockets as the National Retail Federation predicts shoppers will spend nearly $186 on Valentine’s Day alone, an average of $8 more on their significant others this year.

Despite Harris trying to keep her prices low for her customers for the past four years, she said she can’t do that forever.

“Unfortunately, looking out to the future, I am going to have to do a little bit of [a] price increase, and I hate to say that,” she said.

But, as past Valentine’s Days have shown her, that might not matter for some last-minute shoppers, as she plans on seeing nearly 600 of them on February 14 alone.

“I feel like they wait until the last minute and then they don’t really care what they’re spending,” said Harris.

Though prices may be increasing, she says it’s necessary.

“I’m giving my customers the best cost that I can possibly do without having to close the doors,” she said.