Feb 02, 2006 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- Despite the growing popularity of digital and wireless communications for day-to-day interactions, a personal touch is the preferred way to give and receive Valentine's Day greetings, according to a new survey from Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE: PBI), conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs.

Of the 1000 respondents in the 2006 Pitney Bowes Valentine's Day Survey, 83 percent of those surveyed prefer hand-written and personalized Valentine's Day greetings. Of that group, 42 percent said they prefer to send Valentine's Day cards via the mail, while 41 percent prefer to deliver their Valentine's Day greetings in person.

The survey also revealed that age is a determining factor in the preferred delivery method of Valentine's greetings. Respondents ages 18 to 34 stated that they like to deliver their cards in-person (58 percent), while their elders, 55 and older, (60 percent) prefer to send their Valentine's Day cards through the mail.

"Receiving a card in the mail for Valentine's Day is a personal form of communication that many consumers look forward to year after year," said Bruce P. Nolop, Pitney Bowes executive vice president and chief financial officer. "Our survey shows that people of all ages still prefer to use the mail to celebrate this holiday in a special way."

The survey also shows that, younger people (18 to 34) plan to spend more money than their elders (55 and older) on Valentine's Day this year, with 21 percent of the 18 to 34 age group projecting they will spend between $76 to $100, while the 55 and older group plans to spend up to $20.

Additionally, most people surveyed purchase their cards one week prior to Valentine's Day (54 percent), as opposed to the day before (15 percent) or the day of (6 percent). Ten percent of men surveyed, however, still wait until Valentine's Day to purchase their cards.

The Pitney Bowes Valentine's Day Survey also showed:
      * While 73 percent of female respondents sign their cards using the word
        "love," males were quite different.  Only 58 percent of men surveyed
        admitted to signing with the word "love," followed by 17 percent who
        use their name only; 10 percent use X's and O's; three percent use the
        word "sincerely"; and one percent sign "your friend."

      * Television stars from whom respondents would most like to receive
        Valentine's Day cards include:
          -- 24 star Kiefer Sutherland, a favorite among female respondents
             (21 percent), topping actors Patrick Dempsey (16 percent), Omar
             Epps (9 percent), Matthew Fox (7 percent), and Jason Bateman (7
             percent).
          -- Among the males surveyed, Jennifer Love Hewitt was the favorite
             with 27 percent of males wishing to be her Valentine. She was
             trailed by Eva Longoria (18 percent), Molly Simms (4 percent),
             Kristin Cavalieri (3 percent) and Sandra Oh (2 percent).

Independent polling company Ipsos Public Affairs conducted the Pitney Bowes Valentine's Day Survey randomly via phone between January 9 -11, 2006. Additional survey results, along with tips on creating special Valentine's greetings for loved ones can be found on the Pitney Bowes website at http://www.pb.com/cupid which goes live on February 6th.

To illustrate the value of using mail and documents to connect to those who matter most, Pitney Bowes will hold a promotional event on February 9 at Grand Central Terminal in New York City, where consumers can craft and send personalized Valentine's Day messages for free and receive assistance with message creation from professional romance writers, as well as postage and processing for delivery. Participants also will have an opportunity to send Valentine's Day greetings to the troops overseas through a partnership between Pitney Bowes and Any Soldier Inc. (http://www.AnySoldier.com). The handmade Valentine's Day cards provided to commuters visiting the New York event will be selected especially for the occasion by CardSmart.

Academy Award Nominee Virginia Madsen, nominated for her role in the 2004 movie Sideways and star of the new movie Firewall, which opens Friday, February 10, 2006, will be assisting consumers who visit the event.

Pitney Bowes Inc.

Pitney Bowes provides the world's most comprehensive suite of mailstream software, hardware, services and solutions to help companies manage their flow of mail, documents and packages to improve communication. Pitney Bowes, with $5.5 billion in annual revenue, takes an all-inclusive view of its customers' operations, helping organizations of all sizes enjoy the competitive advantage that comes from an optimized mailstream. The company's 86 years of technological leadership have produced many major mailstream innovations, and it is consistently on the Intellectual Property Owners Association's list of top U.S. patent holders. With approximately 35,000 employees worldwide, Pitney Bowes serves more than 2 million businesses through direct and dealer operations. More information about the company can be found at http://www.pb.com.

CardSmart

CardSmart is the national card and gift franchise where cards sell at half price everyday. CardSmart Retail, headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, is a national chain of franchised and company-owned stores that offer consumers 50 percent off every card, every day and offers a total selection of more than 20,000 greeting cards for every occasion.

Contact:

    Caroline Dennis
    Pitney Bowes Public Relations
    (203) 351-7210
    caroline.dennis@pb.com

SOURCE Pitney Bowes Inc.

Caroline Dennis of Pitney Bowes Public Relations, +1-203-351-7210, or
caroline.dennis@pb.com

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