KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Inflation is taking a toll on Valentine's Day plans for several flower shops. As their costs go up, they're forced to pass it on to customers.
Valentine's Day is the biggest day of the year for the Fiddly Fig Florist on Holmes Road. Owner Sheryl White said her shop is currently experiencing an uptick in demand all while balancing a 40% to 50% increase in her shop's costs.
"We are doing what we can to tighten up what we buy and have less waste because we deal with a perishable product," White said.
White has been with the shop for nearly 40 years and said she's never encountered a situation where her supply is running low while demand continues to flourish. The shop is being inundated with orders and it's not just because Valentine's Day is weeks away.
"Funeral work has been up the charts due to COVID, you’ve got events and weddings starting back up again and when people are quarantining at home people can’t go visit so a lot of them send flowers," White said.
White said her shop continues to be impacted by labor shortages. Her supply is taking longer to get to her because there are not enough truck drivers and flights have also decreased.
Another problem she is encountering is that her lists of suppliers and lists of growers are starting to wilt. White detailed that many of her suppliers cut down on the number of flowers they produce, were forced to shut down due to COVID-19 or transitioned into cultivating cannabis.
"A lot of them have changed what they are growing or cut back because they thought the demand was going to go down," White said.
Daily prices at the Fiddly Fig have increased in response to these changes, and Valentine's Day will be no different. This year a dozen red roses will cost $95 when they're typically $80.
"We always increase on Valentine's Day, and we do pass it on and haven't passed it more on this year because we don't know if demand can handle it," White said.
For those planning to order flowers this Valentine's Day, the Fiddly Fig suggests ordering ahead and planning to be flexible with the delivery day.
Valentine's Day is the day after the Super Bowl, with the Kansas City Chiefs set to play the Cincinnati Bengals during the AFC Championship Game, Fiddly Fig said it will be interesting to see how it'll impact orders.
"Maybe it'll make them order earlier so they don't forget, but I don't know," White said.
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