If you have gone to buy flowers for someone special in the recent past, you probably noticed that flowers are expensive. The price has gone up, and many people want to know, “Why are flowers so expensive?”
The reality is that growing flowers, taking care of them, and getting them to market can cost a lot of money. Flowers require special care; they can be high maintenance with requirements for nutrition, water, sunlight, and temperature control. Some flowers are imported from other countries, and there are additional costs.
The price of flowers is based on the cost and effort of farmers and suppliers to grow, nurture, and deliver flowers to the florist so that they are available for people to purchase. Take a look at different factors that drive up the cost of flowers.
1. Flowers Are High Maintenance
Flowers require a lot of effort to grow. They need a certain amount of nutrients, water, and sunlight, and they need the right temperature. The farmers have to work hard to control all of these elements to produce flowers that are healthy enough to make it all the way to the florist.
Some flowers can’t be grown in certain places, and others have a short growing season. During the holidays, flowers have to be grown in warm locations. Farmers also have to protect flowers from pests and disease, and it is a lot of work. Flowers are high maintenance, and they require a tremendous amount of effort to nurture, grow, harvest, and ship.
2. The Size of the Bloom
Another factor that makes flowers expensive is that they need to be harvested at specific times. It is difficult to cut the flowers at exactly the right time, but, more importantly, they need to have the correct bloom size. Some flowers grow out better than others, and some may not be marketable.
If the weather is bad, the flowers may be too small, and florists may reject them. If farmers want their blooms to be the right size for marketability, they need to make every effort to water and fertilize the flowers perfectly. They also need to make sure that the flowers are getting the amount of sunlight they need. It is a developed skill that takes years to learn.
In fact, it is difficult enough that many farmers are changing to other crops that are much easier to produce because they have a higher profit margin. When flowers have an incorrect bloom size, they are not marketable, and the farmer loses the crop. That is why you pay a premium for flowers, especially when they have the perfect size bloom.
3. Flowers Are Delicate
Flowers are delicate. There are a lot of opportunities for them to break or be damaged as they make their way from the farm to the store. Even with the best of care, some flowers die or wilt before anyone buys them. They need to have special packaging when they are transported, and this also costs extra money. All of this is added into the final cost of the flowers.
4. Flowers Need to Be Refrigerated
If flowers are not refrigerated, they will wilt. They need to travel in a refrigerated truck, and then they will stay in a refrigerated case at the florist. They continue to be refrigerated when they are delivered to the people who buy them. This is an expensive process, as electricity costs a lot of money.
When you ship anything in a refrigerated truck, there is a higher cost. Flowers need to be refrigerated so that they last long enough to make it to the store and then to your home. Then, they need to survive so that you can enjoy them. Flowers have a short shelf life, and it is very important to make sure that it is extended as long as possible.
5. The Shipping Is Expensive
There is quite a bit of shipping involved in buying flowers. First, the farmers send the flowers to the florist. This is built into your price, and it can be expensive depending on where the flowers are coming from.
Next, you will pay for the flowers to be delivered to you or the person you bought them for. This is usually a separate delivery fee, but if it is included in the price, it drives the price up. A local delivery fee can run around $15, but it can be much higher if it is a rush or during certain holidays. Some locations have higher delivery fees than others.
You can save some money by going to the florist to pick up the flowers, but most people have them delivered because it is convenient. The difference with flowers is that florists are usually using their own people and vehicles, whereas other types of stores may ship via UPS, FedEx, or the post office. They may have discounts because of the volume of business they do. The florist won’t have these discounts.
6. Flowers Are Arranged at the Florist
It may look easy, but it takes some skill to arrange flowers the way you see them at the florist. They need to know the colors, heights, and flower types. When they create bouquets, they need to know which flowers work well together and where they should go in the arrangement.
Your cost is for more than the time it takes to arrange the flowers; it also includes the experience of the person making the arrangement. A bouquet of flowers that is beautifully arranged is put together by a skilled florist, and they earn a premium.
In addition to knowing what colors, types, and sizes look best together, they know which flowers are most appropriate for different occasions. Whether you have a birthday, a holiday, a wedding, or a funeral, a skilled florist will know exactly what to do.
7. There Is Often a Middleman
When you order flowers, there is often a middleman. If you use any of the online flower services, they are working with local florists around the country. They get a fee for taking your order, but they do not have the flowers. They will then use their partnerships with florists in your location to fulfill the order.
Whenever you add more people to the mix, the price goes up. If you ordered from the local flower shop, it would cost less than ordering online from 1800Flowers or one of the other large sellers. Some people save money by researching a local flower shop and buying them directly.
8. There Are Costs Associated with Owning a Small Business
Florists are small businesses, and they have a lot of costs. They often pay rent, insurance, payroll, and more. The money they take in from selling flowers has to cover all of these costs, and this comes through in the price of flowers.
A smaller florist won’t make a lot of money, and they need to find larger projects such as weddings just to make ends meet. When you support a local business, you may have to pay more, but they should make up for it in quality and service.
So Why Are Flowers So Expensive? Final Words
Flowers are expensive largely because there are many built-in costs. It takes a tremendous effort to get flowers from the farm to the florist, and it takes skill and talent to deliver beautiful bouquets. Add to these the presence of middle men and small business costs and its easy to see how the expenses pile up. But with careful wedding planning you can get ensure that your budget stretches as far as you need it to.