Not All Roses: Florists Work Through Supply Chain, Inflation Problems
Shops plan ahead to avoid Mother’s Day shortages
Florists are navigating thorny supply chain issues to get Mother’s Day arrangements delivered this year.
Local florists say they’ve adapted to the challenges, though, so customers can still celebrate with the arrangements of their choice.
“During the pandemic, growers discarded millions of flowers, and with growing uncertainty, new crops were not planted (in) the same proportion. Labor shortages and poor weather conditions in major growing areas added to a continued global shortage, especially for premier flowers,” said Angela Farris of Lane Florist in Snider Plaza. “To keep up with demand, we have adopted new buying practices with our trusted growers. In addition to flower shortages, global supply chain issues make it difficult to find materials, including vases, floral tape, and foam – all crucial to daily production. Unfortunately, this does not appear to be a short-term problem.”
One of the ways florists are working to overcome supply chain issues is ordering materials further ahead in advance than they would ordinarily.
Bruce McShan of McShan Florist at 10311 Garland Road said his team adjusted by ordering flowers from growers six-to-eight weeks ahead of holidays such as Mother’s Day.
“For all the spring holidays, we ordered in the fall because we knew it was going to be running out,” McShan said. “Our inventory was extremely high at the end of the year compared to what it usually is.”
Like in other industries, Inflation and supply chain issues are also impacting costs for florists.
Farris said flowers used by florists for events are different than those sold at grocery stores and online retailers and are bred to a higher quality. McShan said they’re often imported.
“The majority of (flowers) come from Colombia, Ecuador – all down in South America,” McShan added. “The fuel does increase the price on it because the price of diesel jumped … and that’s what those trucks run on, so they’re passing it on.”
“Consequently, customers can expect to pay a higher price for the same product purchased prior to the pandemic,” Farris said. “In consideration of our customers, we will continue to work on creating stylish, fresh arrangements at affordable prices. We continue to work every day to ensure we have a beautiful selection and the customer’s experience is positive.”
Lane Florist also recently moved from its former longtime location in the southeast corner of Snider Plaza to a new location in the shopping center near Nekter Juice Bar.
”While it was sad to see the building disappear, we are very comfortable in our new location and thankful our customers have continued to support us,” Farris said.
