NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Valentine's Day is almost here again and that thought has Victoria's Secret blushing pink, red and peach lately amid a subtle fragrance of rose petals.

"Valentine's Day is the second busiest holiday of the year for us after Christmas," said Sara Tervo, spokeswoman for the intimate apparel retailer, adding that last year the company's February same-store-sales -- or sales open at least a year -- jumped 7 percent compared with 2001.

The Victoria's Secret flagship store in New York City is already getting more foot traffic as Valentine's Day shoppers, who primarily tend to be men, count down the days to the love fest.

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"Usually we get between 1,000 to 1,200 visitors a day at the store. Close to Valentine's that number is up between 1,300 to 1,700 a day," said Charles Washington, co-director of the two-story, 25,000-square-foot flagship store that opened last November in midtown Manhattan.

Washington said that although the store debuted the specialty lines for the upcoming holiday in the last week of January, most of the male holiday shoppers will scramble to buy gifts just prior to Valentine's Day or on the day itself.

Victoria's Secret sounds the "red alert" for its Valentine's Day theme sleepwear collection.

But this year, shopper John Papa, who was looking for a gift for his wife, made sure he got a head start. He was at Victoria's Secret a week-and-a half before the big day.

"Last year I got yelled at because I never buy lingerie. This is the first time I'm buying it," said Papa. "I usually give flowers, Broadway tickets or take her out to dinner."

Candy and flowers are still the No. 1 and No. 2 most-favored gifts given to women on Valentine's Day because they're safe and comparatively easy choices for the last-minute male shopper. Lingerie, on the other hand, requires some savoir-faire, said retail trend watchers.

So the boudoir behemoth this year went the extra mile to court lingerie novices such as Papa, by offering a select product range of eye-catching Valentine's Day intimate apparel.

"When men think sexy, they think about us," said a Victoria's Secret spokeswoman. "Men are visual creatures, and they seem wide-eyed when they walk into a Victoria's Secret store. They don't know where to start."

At the flagship store, that place would be the daring Valentine's Day displays on the very life-like mannequins that begin the store in the "grand lobby" and take it inside.

"We find that the older men are most comfortable in asking for what they want, while the younger men are shy and sly," said a Victoria's Secret spokeswoman. "On average, it takes male customers about 15 minutes to approach one of our sales people for help."

Victoria's Secret mannequins display the red and black "Dream Angels" collection.

But it's still easy to go wrong when buying intimate apparel as a gift. Should it be the red angel or the black angel lingerie (see picture)? Lace trimming versus leather trimming?

A modern negligee versus a vintage negligee -- the vintage collection at the flagship can cost as much as $6,000. A popular option last year was personalized intimate apparel.

"Rhinestone messages on lingerie are very popular on the West Coast," said Washington. "Men can personalize the garment with a personal message like 'I love you' or 'Happy Valentine's Day' using rhinestones."

Among this year's hot items are what Washington calls the "baby doll" lingerie, which got a 35 percent jump in sales last week, thigh-high stockings and garter belts, silk robes, and beauty products.

The "baby doll" lingerie is among the hot items for Valentine's day.

"The baby doll is a basic lacy negligee top and underwear, and it comes in the Valentine's colors of red, pink, black and ivory. It's very popular because its a loose-fitting slip and men don't have to worry about knowing the exact size," said Washington."

Gift cards are a perennial favorite, especially with men, because they take the guesswork out of the shopping task. "Gift cards account for 8 percent of sales on Valentine's Day," he said. Other choices designed to take out the guesswork are Victoria's Secret beauty and cosmetic products, but they don't come cheap.

"The cheapest gift would be for about $100 and it's all uphill from there," said a company spokeswoman. That works out well for both for male shoppers and Victoria's Secret, given that the average man is expected to spend $126.96 on a Valentine's Day gift this year as opposed to $38.22 for women, according to the National Retail Federation.

Victoria's Secret is also adding sizzle to the stock of its parent company, Limited Brands (LTD: down $0.20 to $11.30, Research, Estimates).

"It's a great brand that has a lack of competition, great marketing, and has done a good job integrating its stores, catalog and Internet operations into a 360-degree approach," said Todd Slater, analyst with Lazard Freres & Co.

Victoria's Secret branded beauty products come as packaged Valentine's Day kits.

Analysts also said the controversy and media hype over the company's first televised Victoria's Secret fashion show on ABC in November 2001, followed by last year's show on CBS, were smart marketing moves that have fortified its leadership position in the intimate apparel space.

Industry watchers said the company was the best-performing division of Limited Brands in 2001, both in terms of revenue and profit.

"Victoria's Secret had total sales in 2001 of $3.6 billion, compared with $9.1 billion for the Limited. That accounted for 40 percent of the total sales for Limited," Slater said. "The company's operating income grew 16.6 percent from 13.9 percent in 2001. It's selling more products and is quick to introduce new products.

Added Slater, "It's a sexy company that going strong. I expect Victoria's Secret to account for about 69 percent of the Limited Brands' operating earnings for 2002."