Florists say a shortage of blooms is behind the big increases, and they're being squeezed out of the market by competition from larger retailers like supermarkets.
Owner of Hansen's Floristry Syd Hansen has been arranging and selling flowers for more than 40 years. "It's been my passion, my life's work," Hansen says.
"Immediately post lockdown, it was like a 100% increase on some lines which have now been exceeded." The price of chrysanthemums at auction went from $12 a bunch to $20 in just a week.
NZ Bloom managing director David Ballard says Covid was hard on harvesters too. "During lockdowns, flower growers were prohibited from harvesting their crops. Those growers lost a lot of money in the whiches and made it difficult for them to continue.
"We have a definite shortage of domestic supply in the country that's been tightening up with seasonal problems during these winter months," Ballard says.
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