While the build-up to February 14 may be a busy time for the on- line dating industry, the “crunch time” this year, says Mark Brooks, president of the Internet Dating Executive Alliance, will be when the red roses have wilted. “It's then, when subscriptions typically tail off, that we'll see if the industry will be able to withstand the recession.”

As the downturn deepens, the search for romance among professionals is undergoing subtle changes. Dating agencies are reappraising their business models to attract clients, while signs are emerging that customers are beginning to economise on the costs of a “special night out”.

The recession has prompted 29-year-old Sophie Shaw, a City of London lawyer to rethink: “I've always strongly resisted the ‘boys-pay' thing but recently have been thinking why not?”