Floral Wholesalers Report Strong Sales for Mother’s Day 2020

Sure, we’re in the middle of a pandemic, and things have been unpredictable. There’s no way of knowing when—or if—things will go “back to normal” for the floral industry. Perhaps our industry will never be the same, but that doesn’t mean there hasn’t been good news for wholesale florists! Mother’s Day sales were far better than expected, and the lessons learned from this holiday will help all wholesalers refocus their efforts towards a bright future.

More people sent flowers than expected

With all the pent-up frustration of not being able to share Mother’s Day in person, people turned to flowers in higher numbers than wholesalers anticipated. A survey conducted on the website flowersandcents.com showed that nearly 52% of wholesalers reported Mother’s Day 2020 to be “Way better than expected,” and 33% said it was either “Good” or “Great.” That’s encouraging news to be sure!

Mass market stores were the center of floral sales

Supermarkets are booming in floral sales, and Mother’s Day was no exception. While many floral shops had to close for some time during COVID-19, supermarkets and mass-market retailers never did. As a result, many consumers went to their local grocer or big-box store to purchase their bouquets. Plus, as some wholesalers were closed or had to cut back their product severely, many retail florists went to mass market stores to add to their stock.

This trend of mass-market floral sales shows no signs of slowing down, plus market prices remain strong due to a limited supply. While continuing to provide flowers to retailers, wholesalers must pay close attention to the mass market to sustain future growth.

Wholesalers overcame some significant challenges

Since Mother’s Day demand proved to be so much higher than expected, it brought many challenges to the floral wholesalers. Their sales depended on florists being open, and regulations varied from state to state. Some wholesalers had no choice but to close down, while others didn’t.

Also, back in March, many growers were forced to reduce their staff, and some cut back crops in anticipation of a slow Summer. Then, when Mother’s Day demand was so high, they couldn’t catch up, resulting in a lot of empty flower buckets at floral wholesalers.

There were also logistical challenges: With so many commercial airlines cutting back their flights, the cargo that would have shipped in passenger planes had to ship in cargo planes, including much-needed PPE. This airline situation continues to make once-reliable floral shipments highly unpredictable.

With all those challenges, wholesalers still managed to reap the benefits of Mother’s Day—a beacon of hope in an unpredictable time. Using what they’ve learned, smart floral wholesalers will align their business to meet the demand and ensure a bright future for the floral industry.

The power of flowers is still going strong!