A Florist's Guide to a Friday Valentines Success
Getting Valentine's Day Ready: A Florist's Guide to Success
Valentine's Day is a crucial date on every florist's calendar. It's a time for romance, beautiful blooms, and, of course, a significant boost in sales. But it's not something you can just wing a week before. Proper preparation, starting in early January, is key to maximizing your success.
Why Start in January?
Starting your Valentine's Day prep early allows you to:
Secure your supply: Pre-ordering flowers well in advance is crucial, especially for popular varieties like red roses. This helps you avoid price hikes and potential shortages closer to the date.
Plan your marketing: A well-thought-out marketing strategy takes time to develop and implement. Starting early gives you ample opportunity to create engaging content, run promotions, and reach your target audience.
Prepare your shop: From staffing to stock management, early planning ensures your shop is ready for the influx of customers.
Valentine's Day on a Friday: Pros and Cons
This year, Valentine's Day falls on a Friday. This has both advantages and disadvantages:
Pros:
Weekend celebrations: Many people will celebrate Valentine's Day over the weekend, extending the sales period.
Workplace deliveries: Friday is a popular day for workplace flower deliveries, which can boost your corporate sales.
Impulse buys: People may be more inclined to make last-minute purchases on their way home from work on Friday.
Cons:
Concentrated demand: Expect a very high volume of orders on Thursday and Friday. This will put pressure on your staff and logistics.
Weekends away instead of flowers: People may go away for the weekend rather than celebrate with flowers, collaborate with Hotels to provide guests with flowers
Early morning deliveries: You'll likely need to start deliveries very early on Friday to ensure workplace deliveries arrive on time.
How This Impacts Sales (and What to Do About It)
The Friday Valentine's Day means a highly concentrated sales period. To manage this:
Staffing: Ensure you have adequate staff for arranging, deliveries, and customer service. Consider hiring temporary help if needed.
Delivery logistics: Plan your delivery routes efficiently to maximize your drivers' time. Consider offering timed delivery slots for an extra fee to manage demand.
Pre-orders: Encourage pre-orders as much as possible. Offer incentives like discounts or early bird specials. This helps you manage your inventory and workload.
Wholesale flower buying expert Ed Scanlon always has the best advice and tips when it comes to buying, this is just an excerpt from a recent post in his Wholesaler Flower Buyers Group
““For those that pre-ordered prior to Christmas, well done, those were at fixed prices with the VDP growers and that price was guaranteed. There are still plenty of time left, so no worries there.
Valentines is on a Friday this year, traditionally a strong trading day for this event, with no Auctions on the Saturday or Sunday beforehand and no Dutch deliveries on the Monday. Deliveries from Holland ( if you want the fresh stuff ) will foucus on the Tuesday or Wednesday, allowing for making up time too. For those that like to leave things to the open market and not Pre-order, be warned because of that concertation on those two delivery days, prices will be firm, probably very firm.
All this info should explain, why you are not seeing Pre-order lists from many supplier as of yet, but there is no fret, there is still plenty of time.””
Marketing Tips for Every Florist (Even the Not-So-Tech-Savvy)
You don't need to be a digital marketing guru to promote your Valentine's Day offerings. Here are some simple yet effective strategies:
Window displays: Create eye-catching window displays that showcase your Valentine's Day arrangements. Create a talking piece flower design, step out of your comfort zone.
In-store promotions: Offer special deals or bundles for pre-ordering for Valentine's Day.
Local partnerships: Collaborate with other local businesses, such as restaurants or chocolatiers or bakeries, to offer joint promotions.
Word-of-mouth: Encourage your customers to spread the word about your beautiful flowers. Ask for reviews on your social media.
Simple social media: Even if you're not a social media expert, posting a few photos of your arrangements with relevant hashtags (like #ValentinesDayFlowers, #LocalFlorist, #FlowersForLove) can make a big difference. Ask a friend or family member for help if you need it. Dont try to be perfect, just post it.
Email marketing (if you have a list): Send a simple email to your existing customers announcing your Valentine's Day preordering offers.
SEO and Social Media (A Quick Primer)
For those who want to take their marketing a step further:
SEO (Search Engine Optimization): This is about making your website easier to find on search engines like Google. Use relevant keywords on your website (like "Valentine's Day flowers [your town]") to improve your search ranking.
Social Media: Posting regularly on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram helps you reach a wider audience. Use high-quality photos and videos of your arrangements, and engage with your followers.
Focus on Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
What makes you as a florist or your flower shop special? What do you offer that other florists don't? This is your USP. Focus on it in your marketing.
Unique designs: If you specialize in certain styles or techniques, highlight them.
Local sourcing: If you use locally grown flowers, emphasize this in your marketing.
Personalized service: If you offer exceptional customer service, make sure people know about it.
Don't Underestimate the Power of Premium
Don't be afraid to offer a premium, luxury option for Valentine's Day. Some customers are willing to spend more for something truly special.
Key Takeaways:
Start your Valentine's Day prep early. (like NOW!!)
Plan for the concentrated demand of a Friday Valentine's Day.
Use simple yet effective marketing strategies.
Focus on your USP.
Don't be afraid to offer premium options.
By following these tips, you can ensure a successful and profitable Valentine's Day.
Now, go forth and spread the love (and the flowers)!