Supermarket Flowers vs. Flower Shop Flowers

I have always wanted to give a lesson on the price of flowers. I want to educate the consumer on what they are getting with florist flowers vs supermarket flowers and I especially don’t want people thinking that I, as a florist, am charging them more than I should for my flowers!

Yes, supermarket flowers are less money, and they can look pretty, but they are less money for a reason. They are not the same grade of flower that I use. Yes, flowers come in different grades, just like the meat that you buy from your butcher. The flowers that I use are from fields and farms where they are taken care of very meticulously. They are grown in the most optimal conditions, fed the correct food, watered the right amount, and selected with great care on their quality and appearance. They are transported to us in refrigerated trucks, as well as kept in water throughout their journey. Upon receiving the flowers, we carefully process each type of flower, which all require different handling and care. Then, they are put in water to rehydrate and refrigerated to strengthen them. 

As for the supermarket flowers, they experience a different journey.  Supermarket flowers are of a lower grade. Additionally, they are densely packed in large boxes without water and set on their journey to the stores. At the stores, they are unpackaged put in water (maybe) and put on display, without being correctly processed. This negatively impacts their life expectancy. 

Any florist or flower lover will notice a difference in the flowers. We notice them just by handling them. The higher grade flowers in flower shops are healthier and stronger. It’s like a seamstress or tailor working with good fabric or a furniture maker working with real wood vs pressed wood. That’s how I compare higher grade flowers to lower grade flowers found in supermarkets and that’s why a florist’s flowers cost more.

So, don’t get me wrong, supermarket flowers serve their purpose. They are convenient, cost efficient and can look nice (if you catch them at the right time), but they aren’t the same grade of flowers.