The floral industry is episodic. Florists have been educating their customers about the fluctuations in the market, and we love to see their efforts making waves.
Weddings are in high demand this year. We’ve had more weddings this year since thirty years ago.
COVID-19 is still influencing the supply chain in 2022. Weather, the pandemic, and backlogged supplies are the theme this year.
Adaptability is a florist’s #1 superpower
Seasonally plan your purchases with flower wholesalers
Flexibility and understanding are at an all-time high. What we’re seeing at the moment is that farms aren’t able to produce and/or ship specific varieties, and therefore, florists are adapting to the market.
Our hearts long for flowers and supplies to come on time. We yearn for blooms so irresistible that customers pay extra for the quality, promptness, and hours of design. We hope for weddings to be booked years ahead with all deposits paid, colors planned, and our industry to boom.
But the truth is, the quality of flowers that come in is highly dependent on factors out of our control. Weather, fright delays, packaging issues may be the reason why your yellow roses aren’t as luscious as you were intending. After years of enduring the pandemic, florists and planners are begging for security. And although 2021 has been a strong year for the floral industry, it still had its injuries. Don’t let that stop you from providing spectacular arrangements for your customers. Try pitching to clients in broader, market-value terms. Let me explain. When consulting for a wedding client, guide them through their color palette and explain to them that although they may want a certain variety for their wedding it may not be the best quality [for that week]… it’s best to give their florist creative freedom and trust that they will still provide exactly what they are asking for. Design around seasonality to deal with product shortages.
Pricing has been severely affected by the pandemic
Farms and wholesalers have raised their pricing on flowers because of their lack of availability. This has created a domino effect throughout the entire community, and we are seeing prices rise anywhere from 30-100%. How has this been affecting customers? Will the end consumer be ready to pay a higher price for flowers, and, if not, what will happen to the industry?
From what we can tell, flower budgets have been adjusted to accommodate these higher costs in that some have jilted florists altogether. Many people are looking for reduced rates for their events, and are even going the DIY route by speaking to wholesalers directly. Here at our wholesaler, we pride ourselves on routing these inquiries back to our florists because we want our designers to thrive in business, too.
Weddings are under a lot of pressure
In the year 2021, 41% more weddings took place after demanding cancellations the previous year, and 46% of couples cut their budgets (Wedding Report). Sequel- and micro- weddings were incredibly popular in 2021, however, the pandemic’s restraints have taken a toll.
There are more weddings this year than there have been since 1984 (Morning Brew). This also means that flower availability will be significantly harder to reach. The greatest availability will be roses and carnations. On the other hand, specialty ranunculus, dahlias, and other delicacies will have the least amount of availability. “Many farmers won’t ship dahlias long distances because they don’t last very long. As fewer farmers are able to supply them at all, dahlias are becoming increasingly expensive” (Vogue 2021). When in doubt, check with your local flower farmer to see if they have any availability for your event.
There are several challenges with the process of shipping flowers, such as multiple touchpoints with vendors, wholesalers, and customers: if an order ships incorrectly, is damaged, or dies, always contact your seller. Here at Pikes Peak Wholesale, we will quickly fix the problem.
Planning for the weeks ahead
Every week, twice a week, we send an order form with flowers you may need. This consistency helps not only the wholesalers but also, you! We understand that some wedding orders will need additional flowers last minute, but we are grateful to have customers who get their orders in promptly, which is most of you.
“Plans are nothing; planning is everything.”
Dwight D. Eisenhower
TL;DR
- Selling florals by color palettes vs. specific varieties
- Pricing has risen 30-300%
- Weddings continue to be under pressure in 2022
- Plan at least 2 weeks ahead
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