Florists Across Canada Share Their Thoughts
A recent poll of Ontario consumers conducted by the Wine
Council of Ontario suggested that wine was the preferred gift for
Valentine’s Day, beating out chocolate and flowers. Of the 1,778
responses to the survey, 1,418 selected wine, 251 chose flowers, 69
preferred chocolates and 30 said none. A nice bottle of wine can be
exceptional, but flowers and Valentine’s Day go hand-in-hand.
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| An assortment of cuddly bears and plush animals were popular add-on items to Valentine’s Day bouquets. |
Florists across Canada were very upbeat when asked how their Valentine’s Day went. Sales across the country were considerably higher than 2005. Every florist surveyed reported their sales were up, and several florists reported doubling their sales compared to last year’s.
The average amount spent on Valentine’s Day bouquets varied for each shop. Customers at Foxgloves Flowers in Victoria, B.C., were spending $100.00 on average, compared to Pickerton Flowers in Montreal, Quebec, and Ada’s Flowers who both said their customers spent an average of $75.00 per order. Wascana Flower Shoppe in Regina, Sask., and Mondu Floral Design in Toronto both reported an average of $65.00, while customers at Creations by Mom and Me Inc. in Kelowna, B.C., spent $60.00.
Roses are still the most popular flowers. According to the Society of American Florists, an estimated 180 million roses were produced for Valentine’s Day in 2005. Ada’s Flowers used Freedom Roses this year instead of Classy Roses. They found that Freedom did not break at the neck, so they eliminated the number of wasted flower heads. Ada’s Flowers was also able to save time during this busy day because Freedom Roses do not have guard petals that have to be removed. While the price and demand for roses has always been high on Valentine’s Day, florists across Canada offered their customers several alternatives. Mixed bouquets are almost as popular as roses now. Thistledown Florist in Corner Brook, Newfoundland, reported that gerberas were the second most popular choice of flower. Wascana Flower Shoppe sold a large number of stargazer lilies, calla lilies, and tulips. Other popular items were potted and cut orchids, tropical plants, and anything exotic.
Although the traditional colour choices for Valentine’s Day continued to be red, white, and pink, consumers are beginning to ask for trendy colours. Orange, purple, and pink, especially hot pink, flowers were very popular this year. Colour combinations that sold very well included purple and red, orange and pink, pink and black, and purple and orange.
Plush and greeting cards were popular across the country as an impulse item for last minute shoppers. Ada’s Flowers enhanced their bouquets by offering singing balloons to customers. Thistledown Florist did well with selling sisal collared bouquets as an upgrade. Foxgloves Flowers sold feather boas as non-traditional add-ons and they even had a few customers supply their own add-ons – a red g-string for example.
All of the florists surveyed reported a successful Valentine’s Day, without any major problems hindering one of the busiest days on the floral calendar. Whether customers wanted a classic red rose bouquet or a trendy pink and orange gerbera arrangement, they weren’t disappointed. Flowers will continue to go hand-in-hand with Valentine’s Day – it’s simply a matter of offering each customer a bouquet that will express their feelings to their sweethearts.
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