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America honors its moms on Sunday, but perhaps no one celebrates more than U.S. florists. Mother’s Day—and the days leading up to it—are the biggest of the year for national flower vendors. In fact, last year, 21 percent of the year’s flower spending took place in the two weeks before the holiday.
Last year, from May 1 to May 14, four of the nation’s large national flower sellers—FTD, 1-800-Flowers, Farmgirl Flowers, and Bouqs—saw their top-selling days of the year. Three other major vendors got the most love before Valentine’s Day, but overall, customers spent more on flowers for their mothers than for their lovers.
Flower sales would look very different without these two blossom-filled holidays. Combined, Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day are responsible for nearly 40 percent of annual flower purchases among top U.S. florists.
Fruit of the Womb
It’s not just flowers making one business’ sales bloom. Shari’s Berries, the e-commerce site best known for delivering chocolate-dipped strawberries, is owned by the same company that owns FTD and ProFlowers. An astonishing 43 percent of annual spending at Shari’s Berries takes place in the two weeks leading up to Mother’s Day. The biggest day of the year was three days before the holiday, when sales were more than 39 times the daily average.
Many retailers in other industries see the most success when they offer special promotions and discounts. (This is especially true for brands that thrive around Black Friday.) But that’s not the case for major flower sellers or Shari’s Berries. In fact, these companies are known to raise their prices on last-minute shoppers or add steep surcharges for holiday delivery, betting most buyers believe delighting Mom on the proper day is worth the extra money. This strategy, data shows, is literally paying off.
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