Latest news with #Flowerama
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tariffs impacting local flower shops ahead of Mother's Day
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Mother's Day is right around the corner (Sunday, May 11, if you forgot) and if you're looking to get a special mom some flowers, you might notice a wilt in your wallet. Most of the flower shops in Springfield have items imported from other countries, whether that's the soil or actual cut flowers. Because the bulk of the blooms are coming from overseas, you might notice a difference in your Mother's Day bouquets. 'They definitely have increased prices,' said Rcena Maness, a manager at Flowerama in Springfield. 'However, we knew that was going to happen.' The new tariffs put in place over the last few months have started to impact local flower shops. Maness said their prices have changed since the tariffs went into effect. 'They have gone up slightly,' Maness said. 'However, it's just leaving out a stem here and there. We can still do that $30 bouquet and still just as beautiful. Just maybe you get a little bit less than you did a couple of months ago.' Flowerama's cut flowers are not grown locally, they are imported primarily out of South America. However, the greenery that fills the rest of the bouquet comes from Florida. 80% of flowers consumed in the United States are grown elsewhere. Last year the U.S. imported $2.2 billion worth of cut flowers and greens, the bulk of it from South America. 'The fact that they can grow year-round gave them a natural advantage,' said Kate Penn, the CEO of the Society of American Florists. Penn says local, small growers have flourished since the pandemic. 'The consumer does want to buy local,' Penn said. To help ease the costs, Maness tells Ozarks First they prepared as much as they could before the tariffs were put in place, stocking up on items like vases. 'We did prep a little bit ahead of time with some hard goods and things that came from other countries,' Maness said. Maness says if you want to plan ahead to beat the rush of everyone trying to buy flowers over the weekend, their flowers do have a four-day guarantee. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOLR -
Chicago Tribune
12-02-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Lake County flower shop bracing for last-minute Valentine's Day shoppers; ‘It's got to come from your heart'
Friday is Valentine's Day, in case you missed it, and time is running out to buy your loved ones a token of your appreciation. Any panicked, forgetful partners can always make a quick stop at a local flower shop to pick up a boutique of traditional roses, including at Flowerama in Mundelein, where Valentine's sales account for half of the shop's yearly business. Elaine Hanusa has owned the shop for more than 20 years, and has been in the flower industry for about 35 years. It was romance that actually got her into the business, or at least a little bit of romantic jealousy. 'I was dating my husband-to-be, and he was working his way through college being a delivery driver. I was a waitress,' she said. 'He didn't like me flirting with customers to get more tips, so he goes, 'We have an opening.' I started from the ground up.' It's a busy season for flower shops, Hanusa said. In fact, she started preparing and making orders back in December, and on Valentine's Day itself she said store personnel can't even answer the phone sometimes. 'It rings and rings off the hook,' she said. 'We've got delivery drivers going, door dashing, we can't keep up. They've even run out of flowers some years.' While many customers are buying flowers for their romantic partners, Hanusa said they see all sorts in the shop, including some children buying flowers for their parents, so she tries to offer a range of prices to cater to everyone. David Dickerson, a Mundelein resident, was in the shop Wednesday buying a small bouquet for his 6-year-old daughter who was having a Valentine's Day party. He talked about what makes flowers a special gift. 'I always have these drops of ideas on how to make sure she knows how to be treated when she gets older,' Dickerson said, laughing. 'Flowers are traditional. We've grown up with flowers representing love, representing relationship, representing commitment. It's more of an intangible experience from a tangible gift.' He planned to buy another bouquet for his wife later, Dickerson said. While Hanusa doesn't get bouquets on Valentine's Day herself anymore, she said that was by her own request after working in the flower industry for so long. 'One year (my husband) sent me a dozen roses, and I sent them back,' she said, laughing. 'I don't want them. We're sick of seeing roses. I asked for a plant instead.' For other couples however, Hanusa said flowers are still a great gift to 'show you care.' 'They can see the color,' she said. 'It's feelings. I get a different feeling when you give me a piece of candy than when you give me a rose. It's like you actually care, unless you really love chocolate.' However, she isn't a believer in just going through the motions. 'If you're feeling obligated, why bother?' Hanusa said. 'It's got to come from your heart.' One member of the staff helping prepare bouquets on Wednesday was Cindy Schneider, who talked about what she's seen over the years. She's been at the shop for 13 years, and knew nothing about flowers when she first joined. Her first Valentine's season at the shop was 'crazy,' she recalled. 'I didn't know what to expect, so it was fun,' she said. 'Everybody cries at least once.' The staff has heard plenty of stories, she said, from the good to the bad, and even the ugly, including plenty of partners coming in for a classic apology bouquet. 'They definitely have some good stories,' Schneider said. 'They'll come in and tell us what they've done. We used to have little cards that had a man crawling out of a doghouse.'
CBS News
10-02-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Pittsburgh-area florist keeping costs affordable for Valentine's Day shoppers
ROSS TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) — Valentine's Day is this Friday, and if you're like many people, buying gifts is on the top of your list. Inside Flowerama in Ross Township, 33 years of Valentine's Day experience is on display. The owner, Patti Fowler, said this is their Super Bowl. "By the end of the week, we'll easily go through about 20,000 stems of flowers," Fowler said. "We have almost 100 pieces waiting at the airport, flowers that have come in from around the world." The flowers may be pouring in, but the cost for consumers is top of mind. Last Valentine's Day, a single red rose was $7.99, and a dozen was $59.99. This year, the price remains the same, so how does a local business keep it that way? "Price does make a difference when you're shopping for flowers. My relationships with the people I've been working with are longstanding," Fowler added. Good relationships and experience are key to cost-cutting. "I used to work on the grower end of the business as well, also used to be a wholesaler," said Fowler. Timing is also important to keeping flower costs down. Fowler brought in a big refrigerator truck on Monday morning to house hundreds of flowers, not a day too early. "Any place that I can create efficiency and reduce costs, it's just something that we're learning. Every year, we're learning something better to keep us on top of efficiency [and] cost reduction," Fowler said. Customers who turned into employees learn how much work this week takes. "This is my first rodeo on Valentine's Day here, but I love the hustle and bustle, the business of it all," employee Lindsay Mckay said. Even though prices changed over time, it's an effort and expense worth every minute to help you give loved ones a gift from the heart. "If you take me back a lot of days, back in the 90s, we can see there's been quite an increase over the years in the cost of flowers. Continuously, I'm trying to keep it that it can be something that people can have in their lives," Fowler said. "We have something at every price point, for everybody, whether it's a single rose or a three-dozen rose vase." "I love it. I love it. I absolutely love it," said Mckay.
