“The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence – it is to act with yesterday’s logic”
The funeral industry is changing – in every way imaginable – and with it, the ways in which people honor, memorialize and celebrate the lives of lost loved ones. The floral industry is witnessing and experiencing the effects of this evolution in the funeral industry, and for some floral retailers, these changes have resulted in a loss of business. Others, though, have embraced the changes and created new opportunities for flower sales – and that is possible to do. In times of sorrow and loss, flowers are important: They provide beauty and a sense of comfort to all types of services, from traditional funerals to modern celebrations of life. But we have to communicate that value to consumers – and, in some cases, to the funeral industry. We must make flowers relevant to modern consumers’ new attitudes and traditions regarding ways of remembering, celebrating and memorializing lives lived. One way we can do that – and one that we, as florists, are uniquely positioned to do – is to customize floral designs to reflect the personalities and interests of the deceased. To help spark your creativity, we invited FR readers across North America to share the types of sympathy designs their clients are asking for. We hope you get some great ideas and inspiration to reinvigorate your sympathy business and/or move it forward into the next decade, as more change is sure to come our way. Be sure to check out floristsreview.com and your digital edition for more designs!
