Flower seller: «On the first of September, the cost of a bouquet will increase by 50 percent»
Every September 1 in our country is accompanied by a mass purchase of flowers. And every year, florists rewrite the price tags for bouquets, guided by the indestructible consideration: “they will still buy for their beloved child.” According to Evotor, the average price increase by the next Day of Knowledge was 17% — up to 1526 rubles for a fragrant composition. Meanwhile, there are real reasons for the rise in prices this year. Take, for example, logistical issues. Of course, in part, the market has already adapted to the changed supply chains, and importers have resolved issues with transport. However, all the same, flower traffic has become more difficult, and therefore more expensive. Plus, the current exchange rate affects the cost of both the product itself and delivery.
Flowers on the Day of Knowledge have risen in price by 17%, follows from the materials of the Evotor company. The capital has become the leader of the flower price increase. In Moscow, a school bouquet this year will cost an average of 2,142 rubles.
The cost of flowers in Russia is growing every year. Last year, studies were published that recorded an increase in the average price of bouquets by 20% year on year. To what extent does this correspond to the actual practice of traders?
… For five years now, Maria has been working as a florist and never ceases to be amazed at how much the formula has become entrenched in the minds of Russians — Knowledge Day plus March 8 equals a bouquet. According to her, customers are sweeping the entire range off the shelves. Roses remain the most popular option from year to year. And so, which of the buyers is what much. “Someone comes for a gorgeous bouquet, someone for two carnations. Last year, one girl sent her child to school with a ficus in a pot, ”a saleswoman from the capital’s flower shop told us.
“Let it sound cynical, but we make money on the parents of schoolchildren and men. This business brings a lot of profit only two days a year (March 8 and September 1). Naturally, we will not miss the opportunity to earn. For you to understand, directly on the holiday, the cost of the bouquet will increase by about 50%, ”Maria shares her business secrets with us without a shadow of hesitation.
However, it is not worth blaming everything on the greed of merchants. There are several objective reasons for the increase in the price of flower products in the country this year. Firstly, this market has a high share of imports: we buy almost 80% of flowers from abroad, domestic farms supply only up to 20% of the total production to the market. Secondly, there was an increase in the cost of logistics due to the change of suppliers as a result of Western sanctions: if Russia used to buy a lot of products in Europe, now most of them are supplied from Ecuador, Kenya, and Colombia. The export of Dutch greenery for bouquets to our country has also stopped, now it is being bought in Israel. Next reason: rising shipping costs due to higher fuel prices. This problem is noted not only in the category of flowers, but also in other products — food, household appliances, etc. Finally, prices are affected by the growth of the dollar and the euro within Russia: most flowers are imported, currency fluctuations cannot but affect the cost of the final product.
But despite the objective and subjective factors pushing the price of flowers up, bouquets by September 1 will be sold out as actively as in previous years, experts have no doubt.
“The most popular on the eve of Knowledge Day are dried flowers, indoor orchids and bouquets of roses, — notes the head of the analytical department of AMarkets Artem Deev. — The trend of last year, when atypical bouquets were popular, was partially preserved — for example, sales of florariums are still high. In general, the cost of bouquets has been growing continuously since 2019.”
According to the managing partner of B&C Agency Ivan Samoylenko, in order to save on buying a bouquet for a schoolchild, one can advise choosing inexpensive roses from the Netherlands (European goods are now becoming the most expensive), and alternative options for cheaper flowers grown in Russia are chrysanthemums, dahlias …
“Parents can make a collective purchase of flowers in a greenhouse farm nearby, if possible, or purchase flowers in bulk at market, and collect bouquets on your own,” the expert recommends.