US: Two-thirds of florists predict strong Valentine’s Day sales

According to a recent Society of American Florists’ survey, about 67 percent of florists predict an increase in Valentine’s Day sales this year, when the holiday falls on a Wednesday, compared to last year, when sweethearts celebrated on a Tuesday.

Thirty percent of respondents expect 2018 returns to be about on par with those in 2017.

The last time Valentine’s Day fell on a Tuesday, in 2012, 80 percent of retail florists said holiday sales increased over the year before.

Last year, in a post-holiday SAF survey, respondents reported charging on average about $66 for a dozen, unarranged long-stemmed roses and $85 for a dozen, arranged, long-stemmed roses. Both numbers are in line with 2016 results, when florists reported charging $83 for arranged versions and $65 for unarranged.

About 60 percent of respondents said they’re pre-booking roughly the same amount of fresh product, compare to last year. Around 30 percent said they’ll pre-book more fresh product.

Read more at safnow.org (Sheila Santiago)