KSHB 41 reporter Claire Bradshaw covers eastern Jackson County, including Blue Springs and Independence. Share your story idea with Claire.
This Valentine’s Day, the weather may be cold, but consumers' hearts and wallets are not.
The National Retail Federationpredicts consumers will spend a record-breaking $27.5 billion to tell someone “I love you,” up from last year’s $25.8 billion and breaking the previous record set in 2020.
The floral industry faces the same challenge as others. Barb Keller owns All A’Bloomin Lee’s Summit and said prices keep increasing in every aspect of the flower business.
“It’s the cost of the seeds, it's the cost of the staffing. It's the cost of the shipping, all those things. Together just create a little bit higher of a price. So this time of year, roses are a lot more expensive,” said Barb Keller, owner of All A’Bloom.
That hasn’t stopped Keller or her customers. She said she made adjustments and prices balanced out to allow her to lower the price of her traditional dozen roses by $5 this year. Her sales are up 20% year over year.
“That's an insane number, and I don't know if that's because everybody's just thinking ahead and making their orders early, but we love it. Whatever the reason is,” said Keller.
The weather hasn’t slowed down spending, but it may slow down deliveries.
"These temperatures are not good for your flowers. So we're covering everything. We're calling ahead to make sure that your recipient is home. We can't leave anything on for our porch, they'll instantly melt if we leave anything for any amount of time at all,” said Keller.
Keller said she considers what flowers can withstand the cold when placing her Valentine’s Day order almost a year in advance.
If you’re a late bloomer and still need a bouquet, Keller said she will have some ready for walk-ins on Friday.
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