Mother’s Day Retail Results: A Blooming Success
Last year, nobody could have predicted that the next Mother’s Day would land smack in the middle of a global pandemic. Going into Mother’s Day 2020, who knew what the demand would be? Yet, despite everything, the results show that Mother’s Day was a bright spot for floral retailers this year.
The Society of American Florists (SAF) conducted their annual survey after Mother’s Day, and the results were fantastic: 70% of those responding saw an increase in their Mother’s Day sales! Many of them also said that they could have sold even more if they’d been better prepared with more staff, and been able to get more product.
How much did people spend on Mother’s Day Flowers?
The median amount spent on Mother’s Day flowers in 2020 was $45, a $10 increase from the past two years. 42% of florists said that their average transaction was between $51 and $70; 36% said it was between $71 and 100; 15% said it was between $101 and $150. The average transaction was almost $76, compared to $68 in 2018.
What were people buying for Mother’s Day?
Fresh flowers and plants continued to be the most popular floral gift item for Mother’s Day, purchased by 28% of American adults. Fresh bouquets and arrangements made up 60% of their floral purchases. Cut flowers were far more popular than other segments, with 79% of sales, followed by flowering plants at 20% and green plants at 8%. This trend is similar to past years, as fresh flowers continue to be the most popular type of flower purchase. Purchases of fresh flowers by men were 63%, and by women, 53%.
Where did customers purchase their flowers?
Supermarkets and grocery stores continued to be the location for most floral purchases at 33% of sales. However, this represents a drop from both 2019 (39%) and 2018 (48%). So, where are they taking their businesses? Mass merchandisers and wholesaler clubs, where 24% of adults purchased their flowers. 16% purchased at florist shops, which is slightly up from 2019 (15%) and down from 2018 (21%).
How were florists receiving orders?
Not surprisingly, consumer floral purchasing was mainly done on the internet this year: 46% of Mother’s Day orders came via florists’ websites compared to 20% last year. Many florists noted just how vital their sites were, and how important it was to limit their offerings and direct customers to more flexible options, due to supply issues.
How did retailers deal with supply issues?
One of the biggest challenges this Mother’s Day was retailers getting enough product. Nearly 50% of respondents said they sourced more products from their wholesaler compared to last year, and 30% said they sourced more directly from farms and growers.
The lack of enough product caused retailers to pivot late in the game so that they could fill the orders they already had. 60% of survey respondents stated that they had suspended incoming orders by Thursday, May 7, with an additional 30% suspending orders by Friday. 32% cut off orders completely by Friday, and another 36% by Saturday.
Despite any supply issues, most floral retailers had a wonderful Mother’s Day. This is a great sign: Flowers are helping all of us move through tough times and into a brighter future.
