One area which we are going to be looking at today is the cut flower industry, which has experienced a challenging year that has shaped the industry. Companies like Pearsons Flower Delivery were forced to close their doors early on in the pandemic, before opening up to an altogether new landscape.
The impact which the last 12 to 18 months have had on the cut flower industry will be felt for some time, and here is how it was forced to evolve during the pandemic.
Independent Flower Stores
The area of this industry which struggled the most was independently owned stores, which bore the brunt of the pandemic and the lockdown. Despite the fact that there was a rise in the number of flowers being delivered around the world, it was the large-scale online retailers who were counting on that business. Most smaller florists either don’t do deliveries or they only deliver to a very small area. This meant that most who were ordering flowers didn’t use these services and that of course meant a huge loss of income. Many independent stores did try to change things, by taking their business online and trying to reach a wider customer base. With this being said, it has still caused a great deal of closures and hit these florists hard.
Adding Items
It became clear quite early on that flower deliveries was increasing, as more and more people wished to make their presence felt for loved ones who they were unable to see. What many florists aimed to do was increase the range of products which they delivered, so as to try and make as much money from the increased deliveries as possible. Those who previously only delivered flowers added food items to their products so that they could combine them with the delivery of the flowers.
Fewer Options
The growers of flowers lost a lot of crops as the world shut down, and that of course inspired caution on their part as things moved forward. What we witnessed in many companies was a reduction of the range of flowers which they grew, focussing instead on the best selling options. This proved to be a smart move and it helped the growers to be more financially stable during what were very tough times.
Forced to Trim Staff
Sadly, and much like many other industries, there were a number of florists and flower shop workers who sadly lost their jobs. This hits businesses like florists harder than some, as usually there is only a small workforce who operate together. As things open back up again we are seeing a lot of rehiring of those staff, yet there were a lot of tough decisions which had to be made by those who owned florists, since the start of the pandemic. This of course was necessary from a financial standpoint, but it did ad pressure on owners who were forced to increase their hours and responsibilities.
Increase in Funeral Flowers
Something which we should of course bear in mind is the number of people who have succumbed to the virus which has gripped the world. Although traditional funerals happened less because of the limitations around the virus, flowers were still required for each person who lost their lives. This saw a huge increase in funeral flowers over the last 12 months, and florists found themselves selling masses of traditional flowers which are associated with this kind of event.
There is no doubt that the face of floristry changed an awful lot since the pandemic began, and it is only now that things are beginning to get back to how they were before this global crisis.