Florists ready for day of love
Feb. 13—The price that some florists are paying for Valentine's Day flowers has increased, but that shouldn't affect customers.
Kenny Fetherolf, manager of Forget-Me-Not Florist near Orwigsburg, said Monday that he estimated that expenditures for florists have gone up about 8%. He said his shop always orders early, but it was especially crucial this year.
"This year, it was more important than ever, just because we didn't want to get turned away because they were not available," Fetherolf said.
He said they placed their order near December's end. Their main concern was inflation impacting expenses, such as freight and labor costs. Luckily, most of what Fetherolf ordered was available.
"This year, we are selling more red roses than we were in the previous year," he said. In 2022, colored roses were a popular request, Fetherolf added.
Mixed arrangements are also a top seller so far, he said.
Kim Kuperavage, owner of The Front Door, Port Carbon, also said there has been a price increase for florists this year, which she estimated was 5% to 10% higher.
"With inflation right now, you don't know how much people are going to buy them," she said.
Kuperavage said she used last year's order as a benchmark for this year's order — with popular choices being gerbera daisies, tulips, orchids and red roses.
With Sunday's Super Bowl, Kuperavage said customers may have been more focused on the big game than the day of love. Now, they realize it's here, which makes for a busy day at the store.
Last-minute shoppers make up about 40% of her customer base on Valentine's Day.
Kuperavage said she likes to offer what she thinks customers may like.
"I like to educate them about different flowers," she said.
According to a survey released by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics, people are expected to spend $25.9 billion on Valentine's Day this year. The average amount that each customer will spend is about $193.
According to the survey, candy is the most popular gift, followed by greeting cards and flowers.
Contact the writer: amarchiano@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6023
