Top Tips for Preparing for Valentine’s Day in A Flower Shop
Valentine's Day Florist Preparation Tips
If Valentines Day falls on a weekend this can effect the flower industry by 30% because:
Couples may go out for dinner or away for a weekend rather than buying flowers
As they are not in work they have more access to supermarkets and other shops that sell flowers for Valentine’s Day
It is easier to deliver flowers to a workplace than to a home – someone will accept the delivery in a workplace, you may have to re deliver a couple of times to find someone at home
If a couple are only recently together there is more chance of knowing each other’s work address than home address.
The second bouquet for the mistress may not be ordered as it can’t be delivered to the person’s home. Every florist can tell you the story of a Valentine’s Day Bouquet being ordered for the partner and their lover.
Secret admirers may only know a work address and not know a home address
What can you do to overcome this?
Remarket
Email or Text previous customers at least 2 weeks prior to Valentines Day - Offer a discount or promotion like Free delivery by ordering before a certain date.
Create a Friday Special Arrangement - Order this arrangement to be delivered on the Friday and get a Free Teddy / Chocolates etc - this arrangement does not have to be red roses, the cheaper coloured roses may make it more affordable, and if pre-ordered arrangements can be made in advance using long lasting flowers like Cymbidium.
Getting Prepared for Valentine's Day in a Flower Shop
Social Media
Plan your Social Media advertising campaign / promoted posts / Facebook Adds / Instagram Adds /
Prepare all this at lease 3 to 4 weeks before hand as you wont have time in the run up and if you leave it till the last minute you wont do it properly if your rushing or panicking
Keep in mind
Who is your target market ? Male / Female
What is your target market age group
What is your target location ? Local / 10 mile radius
Run a competition for a Free bouquet of flowers on different social Media Platforms
Schedule post on your social media for the week coming up to Valentines Day, you wont get time to post
Have photos taken and ready to post prior to the day.
Prepare your Local Advertising
Door to door leaflet drop if you feel it works for your business
Local newspaper advertisement - think about offering them content to run in conjunction a competition for a Valentine
Radio competition & advertising - offer a bouquet/ plant as a prize
Temporary outside signage - maybe check out any empty premises that you can post signage in for the week prior
Temporary “A” boards outside on footpath
Local advertising boards in shops/post office / doctors surgeries / local companies/factories/colleges
Things to be preparing in your shop
Assembly Porto Boxes for hand tied bouquets
Add flower food into the plastic inserts
Have you enough in stock ?
Now is the time to contact Michael at Floral Box
Pre-Arranging – Hand tie greens prepared in bundles
Pricing – If possible have a lower price point with 30 or 40 cm roses for cash and wrap
Single Roses – Have plenty of single roses wrapped and ready to go - display these with a box of chocolates or teddies for quick pick up sales.
Promote your business - Mother's Day is just around the corner – Enclose an offer for March in every delivery
Check last years sales - this will give you a good idea when pre-ordering flowers , If you don't have records from last year start keeping them for this year, these records will make life so much easier for you next year.
Bouquet Essentials Preparation
Start preparing and making all your bows - Do you need a reminder “how to make the bows” ?
Prepare all your hand tied strings. - Do you need a reminder how to tie your strings ?
Cut and fold all your Cellophanes and tissue /decoration papers. - or do you need a reminder how to fold the cellophane ?
Stock up on Gift cards / envelopes, Attach shop stickers if needed
Print off your care and price cards
Prepare a selection choice and price plan for your staff.
Valentines Day Gifts and Teddies?? Have you sourced a supplier?
Negotiated a price with your supplier for top quality Red Rose
3 weeks Before Valentines Day
Roster in the extra hours staff will need to work.
Book temp staff, rope in family and friends, but make sure they know what their job is and they are capabale of preforming the tasks.
Nominate ONE delivery manager, too many involved in this can create mayhem.
Organise the delivery route and roster for each driver.
Brief the delivery men – do you have a code of dress? Do you have a standard greeting for when they deliver flowers? Are they knowledgeable of the area? let them help you with the delivery route that will work best.
Have numbers for local taxi companies in case of emergency.
Stock up your kitchen with bottles of water and soft drinks, fruit snacks & granola bars and packets of soup, Organise a delivery of sandwiches during the days prior to Valentines Day as no one will have time to eat properly.
Check the first aid kit for plasters & paracetamol in case of cuts or headaches
After Valentine’s Day
Show Appreciation – Give your staff a token of your appreciation for their commitment to making Valentine’s Day a success – free flowers to bring home maybe??
