American flower growers and wholesalers are racing to keep up with demand in the lead-up to Valentine’s Day on Sunday.
“Demand’s tremendous. It’s better than anticipated,” said Scott Isensee, general manager at Frank Adams Wholesale Florist, a Portland wholesaler.
2020 was tough for growers, who faced losses from canceled events. But in 2021, industry experts say flower growers are making a comeback. This Valentine’s Day — growers sometimes call the holiday “the Super Bowl of the flower industry” — may prove a record year for sales.
The California Farm Bureau Federation said in a statement that many people unable to take their sweethearts out for dinner are spending more on flowers this year — “a boon for California flower growers.”
Consumer polls reflect this. American buyers have reported the stay-at-home pandemic culture is prompting them to spend more on gift-giving this year rather than on “an evening out.”
According to a retail member survey conducted by the Society of American Florists, the industry’s largest trade association, flower shop owners are projecting sales from Valentine’s Day 2021 to exceed those of 2020.
1-800-Flowers.com, a floral delivery service, said in a statement the service expects to deliver around 22 million stems this Valentine’s Day, up from 18 million last year.
“We are very pleased to report the highest quarterly revenue and profit in our company’s history,” Chris McCann, CEO of 1-800-Flowers, said in a recent statement.
Industry leaders say it’s unusual to have a large volume of orders when the holiday falls on a weekend, because the best sales years tend to be when the holiday falls mid-week. Valentine’s Day this year will fall on a Sunday, but sellers say they’re already seeing huge orders.
“We’ve had very successful pre-booking,” said Isensee, the Portland wholesaler.
The only potential complication Isensee foresees is if the cold front across much of the U.S. this week snows in people who could otherwise be out shopping.
Most of Isensee’s sales are still “brick-and-mortar” — for example, to grocery stores. But online sales are growing too.
Tyler Meskers, vice president of Oregon Flowers Inc., a cut flower business in Aurora, Ore., said his company pivoted to sell more flowers online during the pandemic, partnering with services such as Farmgirl Flowers.
“Definitely, online flower demand is strong right now. I think people are wanting to celebrate Valentine’s Day in whatever way they can,” said Meskers.
The holiday, he said, makes up about 20% of his company’s annual sales. This week, leading up to Sunday, he’s seeing demand for lilies, tulips and hyacinths.
Meskers said now is the ideal time to be a domestic producer, since imports from Europe and South America have faced logistical challenges during COVID-19.
Isensee, who buys flowers from both international and domestic growers, said he’s seen a shortage of planes and faced some import difficulties but still managed to meet his orders.
“It’s interesting to me people are buying more flowers during COVID,” he said. “I guess there’s nothing like a bouquet of flowers to brighten your day.”
