Real-world strategies, tips and considerations for making the upcoming holiday your most successful ever
By Nita Robertson, AIFD
For florists, Valentine’s Day is the Super Bowl for sales, and the effort you put into preparation can significantly impact your success. According to the Society of American Florists (SAF), Valentine’s Day is the No. 1 floral holiday based on consumer purchases of fresh flowers and plants. As one of the most significant days on a florist’s calendar, Valentine’s Day presents an exceptional opportunity for you to showcase your creativity and boost sales. With consumers being eager to express love and affection, this holiday calls for strategic planning and innovative offerings to captivate customers.
Game Plan for Success
Set Sales Goals
Estimate sales to guide your flower, plant and supply orders. Do this now—or no later than the first week of January. Plan your inventory carefully to avoid both shortages and overstocking. Analyze sales data from previous years to forecast demand accurately, paying attention to the day of the week on which each Valentine’s Day you are researching fell. Remember that keeping good records is crucial for your future success, so start compiling records for the coming holiday as soon as you place your orders.
Develop a Valentine’s Day Gift Guide
Develop a collection of modern, eye-catching holiday arrangements across various price points. Help customers navigate their choices by creating a gift guide, available both online and in store. This guide can showcase your holiday offerings and serve as a visual aid to simplify decision-making. Create themed bouquets that resonate with different types of love—friendship, romantic and familial. This allows customers to choose arrangements that fit the specific relationships they wish to celebrate. Remember, though, to limit your selections to less labor-intensive designs and what is doable. Furthermore, focus on promoting the color palettes instead of specific flowers. Doing these things will help you streamline your ordering and design processes. Invest time in taking high-quality photos of your arrangements for social media and your website. To maintain consistency and quality, provide detailed recipes for each design to your production team.
Beyond Roses
While red roses remain a classic choice, many customers today are looking for more creative or unusual alternatives that tell their own love stories. Think outside of the box by offering mixed bouquets, contemporary designs, exotic blooms and even potted plants that symbolize enduring love.
Order Early
Communicating with your wholesalers and getting your orders in as early as possible—like in early January—will help ensure that you have all the materials require for your planned designs. Placing orders early can make you eligible for some discounts, depending on the supplier, and don’t hesitate to negotiate prices if you do so. Remember that your suppliers have to order their flowers and supplies even earlier; in fact, most have probably had their orders placed for months now. Also, schedule delivery of your hard goods to arrive in early to mid-January so that you can start prepping containers, making bows and other design tasks well in advance of the holiday.
Increase Average Order Value
Curate a collection of enticing add-on gifts, including not only the traditional favorites such as chocolates, plush toys, balloons and Valentine’s Day cards but also unexpected items like scented candles, spa products, artisan goods and even jewelry. Other unusual and unexpected gift options include “flower subscriptions” for three, six or 12 months and tickets to upcoming floral design classes (this will require scheduling classes or workshops in advance of the holiday, so get started planning for this sales strategy now. Remember that many consumers are gravitating toward experiences rather than just products, so consider creating a special “date night” event that combines flower arranging with a romantic atmosphere).
Note to the wise: Don’t pooh-pooh greeting cards; they are an easy—and profitable—sale. Just display a selection of unusual and fun Valentine’s Day cards near your checkout counter, and add a greeting card option—possibly a pop-up—on your website.
The key to success here is enticing your customers, so don’t be afraid to get creative. Add-on items—our friend Tim Huckabee, founder of FloralStrategies, recommends referring to them as “finishing touches”—can attract a broader customer base to your flower shop and dramatically boost sales. When curating your collection of add-on-sales items for this holiday, choose items in two categories: romantic and non-romantic. Additionally, we suggest offering at least three options in each of the two categories—and in a range of price points (say $5 to $20); however, avoid offering too many choices, which can confuse and overwhelm customers and become unnecessarily costly for you. Also, be sure to involve your staff in the selection process; this could excite them about offering these items to customers—as would a small cash bonus for each item sold. Once you’ve curated your collection, provide each salesperson with a list of the items and their prices—for easy reference and as a reminder to mention the items to every customer—in store and on the phone. With every sale, present the offer near the end of each sales conversation, when closing the sale. Remember, if you don’t offer, there will be no extra sale.
Finally, make sure your website is updated with add-on options to increase the likelihood of customers purchasing more. Every item available for sale on your website should have at least one add-on option available to customers.
Creating Eye-catching Displays
An eye-catching window display is a powerful tool to draw customers into your store, differentiate your business, connect emotionally with buyers, and boost overall sales. Beautiful yet easy-to-shop in-store product displays are, perhaps, more important, particularly for plants and gift items. Consider creating a special display of your add-on items, with easy to read signage and prices, near your checkout counter.
Staffing and Employee Training
It’s essential to arrange for extra sales, design-room assistance and delivery staff. Get these temporary workers lined up in January, and schedule training sessions no later than the first week of February. Create work schedules for both permanent and temporary employees early on, as well, so that everyone can plan for extended work hours, if necessary.
Equip your team with concise information sheets for each holiday special and add-on item, including descriptions and prices. This ensures they can confidently assist customers and make recommendations. Equip your temporary sales staffers with knowledge about different flower types and arrangement styles so they can help customers make informed choices. Enthusiastic and well-informed staff can significantly enhance customers’ shopping experiences.
Efficient Production Methods
Implementing production-line design techniques, during which several units of each design are made at the same time, helps make the creation of arrangements faster, more efficient and, therefore, more profitable. Employing a “roundtable” design approach, where a specified number of like arrangements are passed along from one person to another, with each adding only one or two types of flowers. I also suggest offering a “Designer’s Choice” arrangement option, which allows you to use available stock creatively while reducing inventory pressure.
Marketing
Begin your marketing campaign as early as the first or second week of January, to build anticipation and encourage early orders. Many consumers love plan ahead and get things taken care of early, and promoting your Valentine’s Day collection early will help them accomplish this (and lock in their orders), and it can also help you manage inventory and spread out the rush. Furthermore, it can prevent consumers from purchasing other types of Valentine’s Day gifts and/or making other plans (Valentine’s Day 2025 in on a Friday, which affords consumers other opportunities such as a couple’s activity or weekend getaway). Post sneak peeks of your Valentine’s Day arrangements on social media and your website, as well as via email. Offer incentives for early orders (on or before Feb. 12) and/or early delivery (Feb. 12 or 13) with discounts or free add-ons. You can also create a countdown on social media and your website to build excitement and keep your brand top-of-mind.
For many shoppers, your website will be their first impression of your brand, so ensure that it’s visually appealing and easy to navigate, especially on mobile devices. Most Valentine’s Day purchases are emotional, so your site should evoke feelings of love and romance. Create a specific landing page for Valentine’s Day arrangements and gifts. Use high-quality photos and descriptions of all your offerings. Make it easy for visitors to place orders with visible “Buy Now” buttons and streamlined checkout processes. For SEO optimization, use Valentine’s Day-related keywords (e.g., “best Valentine’s Day flowers,” “romantic flower delivery”) to improve your site’s visibility on Google and other search engines.
With social media, visually driven platforms like Instagram and Pinterest are perfect for showcasing your floral designs, but don’t eschew others. Instagram and Facebook Stories, for example, enable you to provide interesting behind-the-scenes looks at your Valentine’s preparations, showing the care and detail that goes into each bouquet.
Post daily about Valentine’s Day (fun facts, legends and lore), flower facts, and daily countdowns to encourage early purchases. Run a contest where customers share photos of their past Valentine’s Day bouquets from your shop, for a chance to win a prize. This helps build social proof and shows off your work. Also, use popular Valentine’s Day hashtags like #ValentinesDay2025, #SendLove or #ValentinesFlowers to extend your reach.
Email marketing is also essential for driving sales during Valentine’s Day. Reach out weekly to both your existing customer base and new leads with targeted campaigns. As Valentine’s Day approaches, email customers reminding them to place their orders early for the best selection and in time for delivery. Use urgency, like “Last week (or day) to place Valentine’s Day orders to ensure timely delivery!” to motivate action.
Offer Exclusive Valentine’s Day Packages
Create special Valentine’s Day product bundles that combine flowers with complementary products such as chocolates, candles, spa products or jewelry. This can make gift buying easier for customers and increase your average order value. Here are three ideas.
• Luxury Bundles: Include premium flowers like orchids or lilies paired with luxury items like gourmet chocolates, high-end spa products, jewelry or, if it’s legal in your area, a great wine.
• Limited-Edition, Private Collection or “Atelier” Arrangements and Flowers: Offer exclusive designs, flowers or color palettes that will be available only for Valentine’s Day, to create a sense of exclusivity and urgency.
• Curated Archetype Packages: Create curated product collections that comprise a specific arrangement or flowers and gift items reflective of various personality types or tropes. Examples of collection titles include “The Girly Girl”; “The Funny Girl”; “The Go-Getter”; “The Confident and Courageous Woman”; “The Kind and Caring Soul”; “The Warm and Loving Woman”; “Miss Independence”; “Superwoman”; “The Panda Girl” (a homebody); “The Party Animal” or “The Wild Woman”; “The Queen”; and “The Bohemian Spirit.”
Valentine’s Day is a prime opportunity for your business to flourish, but you have meet and exceed customer expectations and outshine all of you holiday gift competitors—not just other florists. Doing so means understanding consumer buying habits and product trends, offering creative products, and implementing effective marketing strategies. With careful planning and a dash of creativity, this Valentine’s Day can be a blooming success for your business. Embrace the love in the air, and let your floral artistry shine.
Trending Products for Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is evolving into a celebration of creativity, personalization and trend-driven décor. From playful balloon designs to charming, vintage-inspired flower arrangements, there are countless ways to make this holiday special. Below are key insights from industry leaders that are sure to inspire your offerings this season.
“Valentine’s Day is a perfect opportunity to creatively embrace the festive fun of balloons,” says Kacie Carswell, marketing manager at burton + BURTON, a leading balloon, gift and décor supplier in Bogart, Ga. “With designs ranging from romantic hearts to playful characters and oversized statement pieces, you can truly match balloons to anyone’s personality and style. This year, burton + BURTON presents an exclusive selection of creative new designs that brings a fresh twist to classic Valentine’s vibes, from a charming mail truck to a quirky kissing booth, red cowgirl boots, dinosaurs and astronauts. These trendy designs stand out with unique shapes, bold messages and vibrant color palettes, perfect for adding personality to any celebration.”
Carswell assures that balloon bouquets continue to be a favorite concept for Valentine’s Day. “Our all-in-one packages make it easy to create eye-catching merchandising displays,” she says. “Each package includes one oversized balloon, two balloons with coordinating messages, two complementary solid-colored balloons, and five ribbon strands, providing a complete and attractive solution for retailers and consumers alike.”
For those seeking even more customization, Carswell says that latex balloons offer versatile ways to enhance holiday displays. “With shades of pink, purple and red in a variety of finishes from standard to pearlized to metallic, you can achieve a sophisticated and personalized look for every Valentine’s Day setup.
Karen Kohout, trends and marketing insights manager at FloraCraft, a leading manufacturer and supplier of floral design supplies based in Ludington, Mich., says that one of the biggest style trends for Valentine’s Day 2025 is vintage romantic charm. “The trend takes inspiration from nostalgic, vintage décor, channeling the charm of a retro garden cottage,” she notes. “As seen in upscale retailers like Zara Home, Anthropologie and John Derian, the vintage aesthetic is making waves this Valentine’s Day. Think classic roses, peonies and dried florals paired with quaint bows, lace, gingham and polka dots. These sweet vintage elements are perfect for creating Valentine’s Day wreaths, décor and gifts.”
Kohout also mentions that FloraCraft’s FloraCheers!® Bottle Bouquet Rings makes it easy to dress wine, spirits and other bottles with fresh flowers, creating a distinctive gift-in-one that’s perfect for a memorable Valentine’s evening.
Don’t Forget Galentine’s Day
If you are not yet familiar with Galentine’s Day, which is observed on Feb. 13, it is all about the celebration of female friendships and empowering connections between women. The “holiday” originated in a 2010 episode of the hit sitcom Parks and Recreation during which the character Leslie Knope, played by Amy Poehler, gathered her female friends for brunch to celebrate their friendships. Since then, the “made-up” holiday has become a real occasion, taking on a life of its own, transcending the show’s boundaries and becoming a cultural phenomenon. It continues to gain traction and evolve into an annual tradition, embraced by women worldwide as an opportunity to honor the power of female friendships and create lasting memories with their closest friends—while leaving Valentine’s Day open to enjoy with significant others and/or family.
For florists, this occasion offers an opportunity to expand their Valentine’s Day offerings and attract a wider audience. Exchanging thoughtful gifts during get-togethers is common on Galentine’s Day, and what could be more a thoughtful gift for women than flowers? And, of course, for these get-togethers, which can include brunches and dinner parties, centerpieces and other floral décor are definitely required. So be sure to create at least a couple special Galentine’s Day arrangements in your Valentine’s Day offerings—and be sure to promote them and explain what the celebratory occasion is all about. It just may inspire several of your customers to make purchases they hadn’t planned on.
Florists can also tap into the burgeoning interest in experiential gifting by hosting fun and festive Galentine’s Day flower-arranging classes; group activities are popular ways in which women celebrate this occasion. Such events, however, might realistically have to be held after Valentine’s Day, but you can promote your event(s) in advance and sell tickets that can be given as gifts during women’s get-togethers on Galentine’s Day—the invitations to which can be tied to bud vases..
