With Valentine's Day approaching, Valley
florists are finding themselves in a thorny predicament
over the price of roses.
Rising fuel prices and the declining value of the dollar
have spiked the wholesale price of the flower at some businesses
by as much as 15 percent.
Florists are now left with a big decision: Pass the cost
along to customers or take a smaller profit margin on Valentine's
Day-related sales.
I'm not sure how much more tolerant the consumer is to a
price increase, considering prices already go up at Valentine's,"
said Brad Denham, owner of Arizona Family Florist.
The company operates the Arizona franchise for 1-800-Flowers.com,
which includes four retail stores and two floral-design
centers.
It normally charges $59 for a dozen roses and $79 on Valentine's
Day. Denham doesn't plan to raise prices higher than usual
because such a move would probably shock some customers.
Adjusting for the latest price increase, the same dozen
long-stem roses could easily cost more than $100.
At the moment, only the most pricey cuts cost that much.
|
Select a Florist
