Valentines Day is this one day when one product — a red rose — is worth two or three times more than it is at any other time of the year. If a Valentine’s Day Florist catches that window, he’s golden. It’s expected that around $ 2 billion are spent on flowers alone. That’s a lot of money and that’s a lot of flowers.

Valentine’s Day Florist

Valentine’s Day is arguably one of the biggest days of the year for the flower business. Fifty percent of annual profit is generated on St. Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day is the only holiday when everyone wants their orders delivered on the same day. It’s not like Christmas where deliveries are spread out over a month, or Mother’s Day where it’s spread out over a week. It’s just on Feb. 14

Valentine’s Day Florist Preparation Tips

Why is this you might ask?

• As it’s a weekend couple may go out for dinner or away for a weekend rather than buying flowers
• As they are not in work they have more access to supermarkets and other shops that sell flowers for Valentine’s Day
• It is easier to deliver flowers to a workplace than to a home – someone will accept the delivery in a workplace, you may have to re deliver a couple of times to find someone at home
• If a couple are only recently together there is more chance of knowing each other’s work address than home address.
• The second bouquet for the mistress may not be ordered as it can’t be delivered to the person’s home. Every florist can tell you the story of a Valentine’s Day Bouquet being ordered for the partner and their lover.
• Secret admirers may only know a work address and  not know a home address

What can I do to overcome this?

Remarket

Email or Text previous customers at least 2 weeks before Valentines Day – Offer a discount or promotion like Free delivery by ordering before a certain date.

Create a Friday Special Arrangement  – Order this arrangement to be delivered on Friday 12th and get a Free Teddy / Chocolates etc – this arrangement does not have to be  red roses,  the cheaper coloured roses may make it more affordable,  and if pre-ordered arrangements can be made in advance using long lasting flowers like Cymbidium.

Social Media

• Plan your Social Media advertising campaign / promoted posts

Keep in mind

•  Who is your target market ? Male / Female
•  What is your target market age group
• What is your target location ? Local / 10 mile radius
• Run a  competition for a Free bouquet of flowers on different social Media Platforms
• Schedule post on your social media for the week coming up to Valentines Day, you wont get time to post

Prepare your Local Advertising

• Door to door leaflet drop
• Local newspaper advertisement
• Radio competition & advertising
• Temporary outside signage
• Temporary “A” boards outside on footpath
• Local advertising boards in shops/post office / doctors surgeries / local companies/factories/colleges

 

Things to be preparing in your shop

• Assembly  Porto Boxes for hand tied bouquets
• Add flower food into the plastic inserts
• Have you enough in stock ?
• Now is the time to contact Michael at Floral Box
• Pre-Arranging – Hand tie greens prepared in bundles
• Pricing – If possible have a lower price point with 30 or 40 cm roses for cash and wrap
• Single Roses – Have plenty of  single roses wrapped and ready to go – display these with a box of chocolates or teddies for quick pick up sales.
• Promote your business – Mother’s Day is just around the corner  – Enclose an offer for March in every delivery
• Check last years sales – this will give you a good idea when pre-ordering flowers , If you don’t have records from last year start keeping them for this year, these records will make life so much easier for you next year.

Bouquet Essentials Preparation

• Start preparing and making all your bows
• Prepare all your hand tied strings.
• Cut and fold all your Cellophanes and tissue /decoration papers.
• Stock up on Gift cards / envelopes,  Attach shop stickers if needed
• Print off your care and price cards
• Prepare a selection choice and price plan for your staff.
• Valentines Day Gifts and Teddies??  Have you sourced a supplier?
• Negotiated a price with your supplier for top quality Red Rose

3 weeks Before Valentines Day

• Roster in the extra hours staff will  need to work.
• Book temp staff, rope in family and friends, but make sure they know what their job is and they are capabale of preforming the tasks.
• Nominate ONE delivery manager, too many involved in this can create mayhem.
•  Organise the delivery route and roster for each driver.
• Brief  the delivery men – do you have a code of dress?  Do you have a standard greeting for when they deliver flowers? Are they knowledgeable of the area?  let them help you with the delivery route that will work best.
• Have numbers for local taxi companies in case of emergency.

Stock up your kitchen with bottles of water and soft drinks, fruit snacks & granola bars and packets of soup,  Organise a delivery of sandwiches during the days prior to Valentines Day  as no one will have time to eat properly.

• Check the first aid kit for plasters & paracetamol in case of cuts or headaches

After Valentine’s Day

Show Appreciation – Give your staff a token of your appreciation for their commitment to making Valentine’s Day a success – free flowers to bring home maybe??