This is why your Mother’s Day flowers will probably be dead by midweek
Mother’s Day is Sunday and to celebrate many moms across the country will get a bouquet of flowers… that will probably be dead by midweek.
Some online floral retailers, like The Bouqs Co., think the key to maximizing the amount of time flowers stay healthy and beautiful in a consumer’s home is minimizing the amount of time it spends en route to get there.
Many of the flowers that are bought and gifted in the U.S. come from South America, particularly Colombia and Ecuador, or are grown domestically, according to John Tabis, chief executive of The Bouqs Co.
An online flower retailer that launched in 2012, The Bouqs Co. eliminates the brokers, wholesalers and others that usually chart the path of a flower from the farm to the consumer, instead connecting “eco-friendly and sustainable” farms and florists with customers directly, the company says.
In so doing, The Bouqs Co. says it eliminates cost and gets flowers to customers faster so they can enjoy them longer.
Flowers coming from Ecuador or Colombia can be delivered within five-to-seven days. Flowers can also be scheduled in advance for birthdays, anniversaries and other events.
“We create efficiency where there’s inefficiency,” said Tabis.
On the other hand, 1-800-Flowers.com Inc.FLWS, -1.21% says it’s not the length of time flowers spend on the road that determines how long they last, but the temperature at which they’re kept during the process. The “cold chain” is a major part of 1-800-Flowers.com’s supply chain.
Flowers are trimmed and placed in a cooled container “that basically suspends life until the flowers arrive at the floral shop,” according to a 1-800-Flowers spokesperson. International farm workers ship cut flowers to Miami where customs areas are refrigerated. Flowers are shipped directly to customers or sent to local flower shops on refrigerated trucks from there.
“For Mother’s Day alone, 1-800-Flowers.com will sell more than 12 million stems,” the company said in a statement. “That’s why our sophisticated supply chain and cold chain process is so important, as it ensures the freshest state possible for the customer.”
The Society of American Florists says floral arrangements can last four to seven days, perhaps longer, depending on the type of flower and how they’re cared for. The group calls the “cold chain” and temperature management “arguably the single most important issue in flower care and handling.”
Marc Hachadourian, director of the Nolen Greenhouses at The New York Botanical Garden, says they’re all correct.
“The time and travel from the source to the consumer is obviously very important to the longevity and freshness of the product,” said Hachadourian. “In the process, you want to make sure they’re handled in a way to promote longevity.”
Hachadourian calls the journey that gets flowers to customers a “very complex and very scientific process” that starts when the stem is cut on the farm. But ultimately, the one person who is most important to the length of time a flower lives is the customer.
“The freshest quality blooms are the first step, but the after care is very important,” said Hachadourian.
He warns that customers shouldn’t put flowers near a heater, should avoid blazing sunlight, and ought to keep them away from candles as flowers are particularly sensitive to candle flame.
Being an educated consumer also helps. As with anything else, there are quality flowers that customers can pay a fortune for. But the ability to tell how fresh even inexpensive flowers are is a plus.
Customers can also choose heartier flowers like carnations and chrysanthemums, though “people think of them as cheap.” They now come in different colors like blue and purple to increase their appeal, Hachadourian said.
Much as consumers have started visiting green markets to learn more about where their food is coming from, many are spending their money on the sustainable flower industry, and turning to their local flower grower and florist to make an eco-friendly purchase.
For example, customers in the Pacific Northwest can purchase dahlias that are grown nearby by the armful without spending a ton of cash, for a lighter carbon footprint, Hachadourian said.
According to numbers from IbisWorld, the U.S. online flower business was worth $3.1 billion in revenue in 2017. The sector experienced 3.4% growth that year. The U.S. florist business had $6.8 billion in 2017 revenue, experiencing a 2.9% decline for the year due to growth in online sales.
“While these online services often use local florists to fulfill orders, providing revenue for industry operators, they are increasingly bypassing florists in favor of distribution centers and direct purchases from flower farms,” IbisWorld said in a report. “In addition, these services have hampered profitability growth for industry operators, with wire services taking a cut of total profit and forcing florists to purchase specific products to fulfill orders.”
Consumer sentiment about the value of flowers is increasing after a period of decline.
“For a long time, people were moving away from flowers because they saw it as a waste, a frivolous expense, and a luxury item,” said Hachadourian. Now they’re considered a part of healthy living despite their inevitable demise.
“We see the industry turning in the other direction in that there’s something wonderful and warming about receiving flowers as a gift, and something wonderful in that they’re not permanent,” he said.
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