Following the 2026 Valentine's Day season, early reports across the floral industry indicate a strong performance. Many retailers and stakeholders saw increased sales revenue compared to previous years. This surge comes as the national "Just Add Flowers" campaign continues to saturate the market.
While several market factors typically contribute to holiday sales spikes, industry leaders point to the cumulative impact of That Flower Feeling's marketing as a key driver in keeping flowers a first-choice gift. Rather than focusing only on traditional special occasions, the campaign has worked to shift consumer perception toward flowers as an everyday essential. Messaging centered on self-care, home décor, and mindfulness has helped reposition flowers as part of daily life, not just holiday celebrations.
"Historically, florists have seen a drop in sales when Valentine's Day falls on a Saturday, but we experienced the opposite this year," said Chris Drummond, owner of Penny's by Plaza Flowers and Board Chair for That Flower Feeling. "I spoke with nine florists throughout the country, and all said sales increased this Valentine week compared to 2025, some reporting double-digit percentage increases. Our messaging is resonating with consumers and flowers are top of mind. This translates to more sales every day and especially when there is an immediate reason to buy, such as Valentine's Day."
From the retail side, Kevin R. McCarthy, Family Owner and CEO of Family Flowers, which operates more than 40 family-owned locations across 10 states, noted the resilience of floral gifting in the current economy. "I was pleasantly surprised to see stronger results than we predicted for a Saturday Valentine's Day," he said. "In an uncertain economy, people may skip the jewelry or the weekend trip, but they still celebrate each other. Valentine's performance reinforced the fundamental truth that flowers convey meaningful emotions at a price point consumers can justify. Flowers aren't a splurge. They're a small investment that adds more meaning to Valentine's Day and every day."
The campaign's influence is also evident in the grocery sector. Randy Hanson, Floral Buyer and Marketing Specialist for Associated Wholesale Grocer, explained how the "Just Add Flowers" pillars of self-care, home décor, and mindfulness are changing shopper behavior at the store level. By providing 350 store members with ready-to-use media assets for social and digital advertising, the initiative helps grocers maintain a cohesive brand presence without the added cost of building campaigns from scratch.
Frances Davis, Director of Floral at Lilly's Custom Floral (Pyramid Foods), echoed that shift in consumer habits. "We had no shortage of guests walk into our stores to buy for the holiday or any other day for that matter," she said. "Clearly they made a few adjustments but still knew the value of floral in their life and in the lives of their loved ones. All our stores embrace the importance of marketing and the benefit of floral in a supermarket."
A key factor in this success is the active participation of industry professionals who are using the marketing and media assets available through the That Flower Feeling website. By leveraging these professionally designed tools, florists, wholesalers, and grocery retailers across the country are extending the "Just Add Flowers" message into their local markets. The result is a more unified voice that resonates with consumers across platforms.
The "Just Add Flowers" initiative, a 501(c)(6) collaborative effort, is designed to drive a long-term cultural shift by emphasizing the emotional and wellness benefits of fresh flowers. Current data shows the campaign's presence on platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Pinterest is reaching a broad demographic of men and women ages 25 to 55.
To maintain this momentum, the foundation stresses the need for continued industry-wide funding. Ongoing contributions allow the campaign to evolve and remain visible to consumers during key holidays and throughout the year. Industry stakeholders are encouraged to visit www.thatflowerfeeling.org to contribute and access the tools that support sustained, year-round success.
For more information:
That Flower Feeling Foundation
[email protected]
thatflowerfeeling.org
