Florists
Industry Profile Report
Dive Deep into the industry with a 25+ page industry report (pdf format) including the following chapters
Industry Overview Current Conditions, Industry Structure, How Firms Operate, Industry Trends, Credit Underwriting & Risks, and Industry Forecast.
Call Preparation Call Prep Questions, Industry Terms, and Weblinks.
Financial Insights Working Capital, Capital Financing, Business Valuation, and Financial Benchmarks.
Industry Profile Excerpts
Industry Overview
The 11,400 florists in the US specialize in selling cut flowers, flower arrangements, and potted plants. Major product categories include cut flowers (arranged and unarranged), indoor potted plants (blooming and non-blooming), and artificial/silk flowers, plants, and trees. Companies may also sell gifts, glassware (vases), souvenirs and novelty items, outdoor nursery stock, and seasonal decorations.
Variable Supply Affects Margins
The supply of fresh flowers can vary, and affect margins and a company’s ability to fulfill orders.
Seasonality Requires Working Capital
Demand for florists’ products is highly seasonal, and peaks during certain holidays.
Industry size & Structure
The average florist operates out of a single location, employs fewer than 10 workers, and generates about $421,000 annually.
- The florist industry consists of about 11,400 companies that employ about 62,400 workers and generate $6 billion annually.
- The industry is highly fragmented; the top 50 firms account for less than 10% of industry sales.
- Most companies are small, independent operators. Some companies own multiple stores, but generally operate within a limited geographical market.
- Large floral networks, such as FTD, have national and international operations.
Industry Forecast
Florists Industry Growth
Recent Developments
Feb 20, 2025 - Tulip Sales Growth for Valentine’s Day
- Some florists say tulips are becoming more popular on Valentine’s Day, as consumers look for affordable and sustainable options to traditional roses, according to a report in The New York Times. Executives at UrbanStems, an online flower retailer, said they expect twice as many tulip sales on Valentine’s Day in 2025 compared to a year ago. CEO Meenakshi Lala said the company expected approximately 4,000 tulip orders during the Valentine’s Day cycle while it expects to sell 1.8 million stems of roses. The company began offering tulips for Valentine’s Day in 2021. Outside of Valentine’s Day, tulip sales are also on the rise. Chicago’s Southside Blooms, a floral nonprofit, grows more tulips every year to meet the increasing demands of its consumer base, growing 30,000 tulips this season. Tulip farmers say environmental upsides to the tulip include being grown more quickly, with less heat for shorter periods of time than roses.
- Consumer confidence levels fell in January 2025, dropping by 5.4 points from the previous month, according to The Conference Board. The Consumer Confidence Index was 104.1 in January 2025 from 109.5 in December 2024. Dana Peterson, chief economist at The Conference Board, noted that the segment with the highest gains in confidence were those at the bottom of the income range while households earning over $125,000 showed the sharpest decline in confidence. Per Peterson, “Consumer confidence has been moving sideways in a relatively stable, narrow range since 2022. January was no exception. The Index weakened for a second straight month, but still remained in that range, even if in the lower part.” Purchasing plans for homes and new cars were flat while big-ticket purchases rose on a six-month moving average basis.
- Businesses in the wedding industry are seeing lower bookings and significant budget and guest list cuts, according to a Q4 2024 “The State of the Wedding Market” survey from The Wedding Report. About 22% of businesses saw bookings drop by more than 25% in 2024, while nearly 30% saw bookings fall by a slight to moderate amount. On a brighter note, about 30% recorded slight to moderate increases in bookings. The survey also found that 35% of couples are trimming wedding guest lists by 10-25%, and 30% of businesses are seeing wedding budgets down by 10-25% as couples prioritize smaller, more intimate ceremonies. The wedding industry is facing challenges with finding and converting leads (48%), rising costs (17%), and couples delaying their wedding decisions (14%). Survey respondents included photographers, venues, planners, and florists.
- Florists will have to monitor minimum wage changes in 2025, as 21 states and 50 local jurisdictions increased their minimum wage levels, according to Chain Store Age. States with the highest minimum wage in the US are Washington ($16.66 per hour), California ($16.50), and New York ($16.50). Nearly 30 cities in California and seven towns in Washington will raise minimum wages in 2025, with Tukwila, Washington, offering the highest minimum hourly wage in the US at $21.10. According to the Economic Policy Institute, the minimum wage changes will affect more than $9 million workers and raise pay by a combined $5.7 billion. Unchanged since 2009, the federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, and some 20 states, primarily located in the South and the Midwest, use the federal minimum as their wage floor.
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