Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue, Here's Everything a Florist Needs to Do!
Every florist, wholesaler, and holiday helper knows Valentine’s Day is coming long before the calendar turns over to February. While each flower shop has its preferences, routines, schedules, and ways of avoiding the holiday frenzy, if you’re a new flower shop or designer, you may not know where to begin. For veteran florists, maybe you’ve had a few Valentine’s Days that left you feeling shaken or saying, “What on earth was that?” We’ve compiled a list and created a suggested schedule to help you navigate the biggest sales day of the year.
Jump straight to it! We have two key areas you’ll need to take time preparing: your store and the flowers.
Table of Contents
Preparing Your Flower Shop
1. Start With a Clean Base
It may seem simple, but a clean, well-organized shop makes a world of difference when preparing for the influx of Valentine’s Day supplies. Take some time at the beginning of January to adjust shelves, remove old boxes or clutter, put away all your Christmas decorations, and make any changes to the front of your store. The weeks leading up to February 1st are crucial for proper preparation. If you need a thorough list for specific areas that may need attention, read our blog for Reorganizing and Modernizing Your Flower Shop.
Remember to order vases, cards, envelopes, card holders, and ribbon early! Unbox and store them in a helpful way to prevent any large messes or scrambling for supplies. As prepared as everyone likes to be, once you are out of something, you are simply out, and that’s okay! Make any adjustments as needed or substitutions where necessary, but if you are out of something, don’t make any certain promises to get it back in stock before the big day.
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2. Decorate Your Flower Shop
Within the first few days of returning after Christmas and New Year, the decor in your store needs to shift to its next focus: all things pink and red, hearts, and cupid! Create a fun and lively display inside or in the window of your shop. It will draw attention and welcome visitors! When processing your roses, some will inevitably break. Instead of tossing them, tie the stems to a string and hang them in the window or create a heart-shaped display. Want to see who most people are giving their flowers to? Have a wall dedicated to everyone’s valentines where people can choose to fill out a heart and add to the collection!
3. Increase Your Social Content & Marketing
Showcase the arrangement styles you are featuring for Valentine’s Day, any special deals, and informative graphics that hint toward ordering early. Nowadays, social media is the lifeblood of advertising, so don’t let it pass you by! Even if your posts aren’t getting the engagement you’d like, most consumers will look through florist social accounts to see their signature style, as well as check their reviews on Google, Facebook, and Yelp. Whether you already post content regularly or it’s been a few months, increase the frequency at which you post! Show behind-the-scenes, special discount codes or offers for early ordering, and maybe even throwback photos to give a sense of reliability and familiarity. The week of Valentine’s Day, take plenty of photos and videos to post and advertise for next year!
As for marketing, consider running ads through social media or in the local magazine, newspaper, or radio shows. Send out a mass email to your previous customers and remind them that the holiday is coming soon. Include exclusive discounts, packages, or add-ons for being a returning customer!
4. Recruit Extra Help
January is the time to assemble your dream team! If you have regular holiday helpers, the last week in January would be a great time to refresh their memory of the POS system, store layout, any script they need to follow, or general things to keep in mind. If you are recruiting people for the first time, you’ll want to bring them into your store early to get the hang of things. Teach them the names of flowers, size expectations, and tips for simple care so they can assist customers in making informed decisions and can answer questions they may have.
As for “day-of” help like delivery drivers, separate your order tickets according to delivery routes and go over them extensively with your workers beforehand. A team that feels confident will perform better under pressure, so make sure you are all going into the week before Valentine’s Day with plenty of structure and a solid plan.
Create work schedules early on so that your permanent workers and holiday help know their time expectations and if any additional work “after hours” or weekends will be necessary. The week of Valentine’s Day, it is considerate to get the staff lunch or to have them bring their own. This will help keep them in the store if any need arises; though, make sure to give them appropriate breaks and time to step away, as the rush of crowds can be overwhelming at times.
5. Push Customers to "Order Early" and/or "Deliver Early"
Encourage your patrons to order early! You can even mention that those who order early get first choice in arrangements, special deals, or exclusive add-ons. Suggest an early delivery to your customers to push product out of your store and keep things moving, so February 14 isn’t the only day you are sending deliveries. If Valentine’s Day falls on a weekend, suggest a delivery earlier in the week so that “it gives you more time to enjoy the flowers.”
6. Partner With Local Restaurants, Jewelers, Candy Shops, Etc.
Flower shops aren’t the only place hustling and bustling on Valentine’s Day; local restaurants, jewelry stores, and gift shops are also nice and crowded! Consider partnering with a local business to host a small flower stand in exchange for keeping some of their products in your store. Sell hand bouquets or single roses in the lobby, coat check, or foyer of restaurants or hotels if permitted. Make sure to include your branding on your flower stand, or your logo on the bouquets or arrangements, to expand your business brand recognition! If your shop is located in a downtown area or a business complex, consider creating an “exclusive Valentine’s Day package” with everyone.
The Flowers
1. Processing and Storing the Flowers
The most tedious, but necessary part of Valentine’s Day prep is processing the flowers. Work with your wholesaler for a delivery date that works best for your business, but make sure to purchase the flowers early. When cleaning your shop and making way for the flowers, you are easing the process that comes afterwards: storing the flowers. If your shop has a large refrigerator that can store an abundance of flowers, organize them however you please! If you do not have such a luxury, grab a coat and some fingerless gloves and turn down the thermostat! The cold will preserve the flowers and protect all the arrangements you have previously made. Remember to regularly replace the water in the buckets and to cut the stems each time you do so. If you need some extra tips or need to show new holiday help how to carefully process flowers, watch our Prepping Flowers With Hannah video!
If you have multiple flower deliveries from wholesalers for different days, label the buckets with the date they were received, and put the oldest at the front. This makes sure your product is used wisely and can prevent any dissatisfied customers. After Valentine’s Day, when all the arrangements are out the door and there are still some unused flowers in the fridge, consolidate the buckets, clean your storage room, and set things back in order.
2. Greening Vases and Pre-Designing Arrangements
The arranging will be the most time-consuming, yet a fun part of Valentine’s Day preparations. You know your shop and projected numbers, so you have some expectation of what to stock up on. To give a wide variety, make a safe number of each of your most popular arrangements, bouquets, and grab-and-go options. The week before, begin greening your vases, stocking your fridges with your regular everyday products, and creating a few grab-and-go options. Remember to replace the water in your vases every day during Valentine’s week. You don’t want the water to appear murky, and this will help the flowers live longer!
Arrangements for Valentine’s Day should be made no earlier than 3 days before the first round of deliveries. Protect the quality of your craft by keeping your flowers fresh and never just throw something together in a panic. This may be the one time a year someone comes to your shop, but it doesn’t mean they should get a lesser product than your most favorite patron. First impressions matter greatly, and you never know which customers will become lifelong supporters!
3. Checking Final Details
If you have a flexible number of helpers, put someone in charge of checking final details as their entire job. A vase has water that hasn’t been changed and is about to go out the door; “Please let me switch that water for you so it stays fresh longer for you.” A card has fallen off an arrangement, and you don’t know who it is going to? Let them find it or go through the system to create a new card. Make sure that each order is checked and every stem is in its place! The owner of the shop will not be able to manage every last detail, so instituting someone to pay attention to the small things will be monumental!
In Conclusion
Valentine’s Day to the regular person is a fun, carefree, wholesome day, but to you, dear florist, it is anything but. There will be some fast moments, overwhelming swarms of people arriving all at once, and flower orders coming in at the last possible moment. But with the right preparations, you and your staff are ready and can handle anything! Just remember to take plenty of time organizing your store, use care in processing your flowers, and design with heart! Happy Valentine’s Day!
All photos are included from Pinterest and tagged to their original post.