One of the perks of working in an office is access to snacks you did not pay for. When I worked at a large engineering firm, there was always a steady supply of doughnuts, cookies, and candy, and it was always a massive amount of candy. There is something delightful about candy on that scale. A tub of jelly beans, a bucket of Red Vines, a flat of candy bars—this is the amount of candy you should be giving your valentine.
You’re not just giving your valentine the gift of candy—you’re giving them the gift of abundance. I recently bought my boyfriend a 200-count box of his favorite sour candy (Sour Power brand strawberry straws), and it has been a source of delight for both of us. No matter how much candy we eat, there always seems to be more. This concept is similar to purchasing a large amount of mundane food for your love, only a little sweeter, to match the spirit of the holiday. (Though my partner would be thrilled if I bought him a massive amount of ketchup for Valentine’s Day. He is always running out.)
The office supply store is an obvious place to buy such an amount of candy, but Costco and Sam’s Club are the most cost effective. You can also order it online—I found the Sour Power straws on Amazon for $20.
It goes without saying that this is most effective if you purchase their favorite candy, but if they “like it all,” give the Costco website a quick browse for inspiration. I would personally be thrilled with many of the options there, such as a tub of Starburst, a 100-count box of assorted Tootsie Pops, or five and half pounds of Red Vines. They may not come in a heart-shaped box, but you were going to throw that box out anyway.