PINELLAS PARK, Fla. — You might not be able to put a price on love, but showing someone “I love you" with flowers this year may cost you more.
Making holiday arrangements over the past Christmas season is a big business for florists, but when it comes to expressing love nothing compares to Valentine's Day.
What You Need To Know
- Prices of local flowers have gone up 15-20%, according to Pinellas Park floral company Hayes Florist
- Business owner Michael Cherry says it's due to fuel charges and supply costs went up 25-50%
- Cherry says freight charges for flowers imported from South America have also gone up, forcing many florists to raise their prices
“It’s the busiest delivery day of the year of course and we bring in drivers to assist us,” said Michael Cherry, owner of Hayes Florist. “This year we’ve got seven additional drivers on hand.”
This is the 16th year Hayes Florist has helped people express their affections in flowers in Pinellas Park, but this year, like so many other things, costs have gone up.
“Prices have gone up 15-20% for this holiday,” Michael said. “Mainly because of fuel charges and supplies went up 25-50% post- COVID and that was mainly the supply chain in China. All of the supply raises for stands, for flower arrangements and funerals.”
Cherry says freight charges for flowers imported from South America have also gone up, forcing many florists to raise their prices.
Although Cherry says he's been trying to keep his signature dozen roses bouquet reasonable enough to keep hearts from skipping a beat.
“We are setting the price at $99,” he said. “If I was to make the same margin normally do on roses, they should actually be about $109 to $115 something like that, but I believe or customers particularly in this area aren’t gonna swallow that kinds of increase on a dozen roses.”
He hopes that's something that the affairs of the heart and the wallet can fall in love with.