It is Valentines' day, and the most popular and simple gift is a dozen red roses.
While I was still going to university, I used to work at a fairly large flower shop part-time. It was the most eye-opening experience, and it has helped me to be more aware of purchasing flowers. Valentines' day is the most busy day, and also one of the most profitable days for a flower business. I remember preparing the shop for the day, and making 7,000 water picks for the roses. Needless to say, by the end of the day, the skin on my hands was peeling, and my shoulders were sore.
On Valentines' day, we sold our roses for $10.00 per stem, whereas regularly, a long stem rose can go for $4.50 or $5.00. So, a bouquet of a dozen red roses can cost in excess of $150.00. This will include 12 roses, some greens, and wrapping, which all cost extra. The reason that the flowers are so much more expensive on Valentines' day is because they cost more from wholesalers.
In my city, a flower business (or anyone with a GST number) can go to the flower auction and purchase flowers at wholesale prices. Sometimes, a stem of red rose costs $0.15-$0.25, depending on how the auction goes. Of course, on Valentines' Day or other holidays, a stem can cost $1.00-2.00. So, it's not that the stores raise their prices to make a buck, they are really just adjusting for the extra cost.
I find that it's better to buy roses from street venders, as they get a fresh supply, and often charge a lower price. Sometimes, they buy directly from the growers, and the savings can be passed to you because the middle men (auctions, wholesalers) are eliminated. It may surprise you that it does not cost very much to start a little business selling flowers on street corners.
1) Buy a cart
2) Get a permit
3) Buy flowers from auctions or growers
4) Buy the essentials, such as flower food, water picks, ribbons, etc from wholesalers
5) Find a location, put up a sign, and start selling!
Some supermarkets sell dozens of roses at a huge discount. I like discounts, but I also like good quality. I have not been able to find good quality flowers at supermarkets. A dozen red roses may be as inexpensive as $15.00, but when you look at the stem where the cut was made, you can will see black or grey, which means that the roses are not fresh. Supermarkets buy large quantities of roses at wholesale, and they are kept in the cooler for as long as possible. I can't imagine that you can get fresh roses this way. In fact, most of the roses I buy from supermarkets die in less then 3 days, and roses should at least last one week. You are definitely NOT paying for quality.
On the other hand, I also dislike some tactics flower shops use to make a profit. Have you heard of Teleflora? You can see the dove symbol everywhere on doors, windows, brochures of flower shops. Here is a typical scenerio. You live in New York, and you want to send flowers to someone in Las Vagas. So, you walk into a flower shop and see the sign "We will send flowers to anywhere in the world". You think "this is wonderful!". The nice sales girl show you a thick book full of pictures of beautiful arrangements and bouquets, and you pick one. She tells you that the recipient will receive exactly what's shown on the picture, or maybe with a few differences.
The truth is most people who buy flowers are people who don't know anything about flowers. It is also true that most people are just plain happy to receive flowers, regardless of the types of flowers they receive. So, you will pay say $90 to send these flowers to someone, and the New York store tells you that it has affiliates all over the world. Then you think "Great! It is pretty much one company that has many franchises." Your friend will receive the flowers; she tells you they are great. By this time, you don't remember the flowers in the pictures, and probably don't care because she loves them.
What you don't know is that you may have paid $90.00 for flowers that should only cost $30.00.
This is how Teleflora works. It is a business that provides software, websites, ideas, and a way of linking flower shops worldwide. If I start a flower business, I will pay Teleflora commission and probably a monthly fee to use their services. Without them, I will lose profit, because people can't come to me to send flowers worldwide. Teleflora even sets up credit card processing systems for merchants for a fee. When you purchase flowers from a Teleflora shop, you are NOT buying flowers from that shop. You may like the decor, the feel, the look of the store you are sitting in, but where your flowers are being sent from may be something COMPLETELY different.
Furthermore, your $90.00 doesn't mean $90.00 worth of flowers. The flower shop in New York will keep some of that money. As I mentioned before, because you are not an expert in flowers and will not be present when your friend receives the flowers, it is very easy to put cheap flowers in a bouquet and add a rose or stargazer lily here and there to impress someone. Either way, you have no control as to how your flowers will look. To be honest, there is no way that every flower shop will have all the flowers in stock, so there is always some degree of substitution. It's just that some flower shops abuse the system completely.
Here is an idea....if you are in New York and want to send flowers to someone in Las Vagas, why don't you look up flower shops located in Las Vagas on the internet and call the shop directly? You can pay with a credit card, and actually save $10.00 or more on ordering from New York (commission fees for Teleflora services). Better yet, don't go with a Teleflora shop at all, because most solid flower shops do not even want to make a living through Teleflora. Shops with great designers have a theme of their own, and Teleflora designs are very generic.
Here are some designers I love, and I would have no problem spending this kind of money on great flowers and great designs for someone I love.
Jane Carroll Floral Artistry
Thomas Hobbs Florist
Winston Flowers
Jaco Maarse Florists
Happy Valentines' Day and good luck with your flower purchases!
