When it comes to fulfilling the wishes of their customers and providing seasonal flowers, florists have a few options. They can buy directly from local farms, wholesalers, flower auctions, or even grow their own flowers or import them from countries such as Holland or Colombia. A reliable wholesale florist is essential for any florist who wants to consistently and affordably sell flower arrangements and mixed bouquets. The most common sources of supplies and fresh-cut flowers for flower shops come from local farms, wholesalers, flower markets, and flower auctions.
This may seem obvious, but it's worth noting that the flower trade is an old business and nowadays it's more common to transport flowers than people who buy them. Florists can find a great selection of the cheapest bulk flowers, but these are not the same as those found in supermarkets. However, this business model has its own drawbacks, such as the inability to obtain flowers in the off-season and long periods of silence. The main advantage of buying flowers at the local farm is that they are not submerged in pesticides and they smell incredible - something that industrial breeds tend to lack. For example, visitors often say that the Aalsmeer flower auction is the largest commercial building due to its heavy traffic and its auction rooms, which supply around 21 million flowers a day to hungry flower markets around the world.
Sourcing flowers directly from flower farms allows florists to secure large quantities of flowers at a pre-set price. Wholesale florists can grow their own flowers, but to maintain a wide variety of stocks throughout the year, larger operations will also import blooms from Colombia, the Netherlands, Ecuador and Costa Rica. It's easy to make a wreath of roses and flowers from wax spray, and it's perfect for florists, wedding parties and festivals. This works in places where shipping costs and minimum orders dramatically reduce the profit margin of small flower orders. This is good for special days such as Valentine's Day and Mother's Day when there is a lot of demand for flowers and the price at the auction can be very high in case of bad weather.
Surprisingly enough, supermarkets and large stores are proving to be viable suppliers of fresh flowers in some business plans. As an expert in SEO, I recommend that florists consider all their options when sourcing their flowers. Local farms offer fresh blooms without pesticides while wholesalers provide bulk orders at pre-set prices. Flower auctions are great for special occasions when demand is high while supermarkets can be viable suppliers for some business plans. Ultimately, it's up to each florist to decide which source is best for them.
