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There are more than 50,000 florists in the United States. Some major metropolitan areas have hundreds of shops.
If you just want a little bouquet of roses, it doesn’t matter what the shop is like. If you want to go the extra mile, you need to find the best flower shops. But how?
Here is a quick guide on how to find the best flower store.
The Flower Store Prioritizes Customer Service
A good flower store has top-to-bottom customer service. You can tell a lot about how a store will treat its customers from a first look.
See how they arrange their flowers in the window. This will give you a good sense of how they maintain and create different flowers.
Ask yourself some questions. Does the store offer a wide selection of flowers? Do they advertise for weddings, holidays, and other special events?
Talk to employees in the flower store. Try to get to know them a little bit. A good florist should understand who their clients are, adjusting their services for them.
Good flower shops understand how important time is. For a major event, they need to spend time preparing and treating flowers. They should go to the venue and decide what vases and arrangements complement the setting.
Ask the flower shop about how they prepare for big events. They should deliver flowers on time, but they should also work with you on your big day.
Visit a flower shop’s website and understand how they distinguish themselves from their competitors. For example, Phillip’s Flowers offers “get well flowers” that they personalize with special messages.
Does the flower store offer unique services, or do they feature unique events? If they don’t, take your business somewhere else.
Versatility
A flower store should be able to care for multiple kinds of events. Most people want to buy flowers as a gift. They should provide arrangements for birthdays and spontaneous presents.
Many people go to a flower store for a wedding or Valentine’s Day. A flower store should offer traditional bouquets, including orchids and lilies. But a flower store should go beyond these very common events.
A flower store should provide for funerals. They should offer traditional flowers like carnations and chrysanthemums. They should offer cards to wish loved ones well after the passing of a loved one.
A flower store should provide for religious and secular events. They should cater to bar mitzvahs, confirmations, and baptisms. They should cater to birthday parties and informal events.
A good flower store should provide for events with LGBTQIA+ people. They should employ cultural sensitivity, recognizing how one flower can have different meanings amongst different cultures.
A flower store should be able to plan ahead and provide flowers right away. You should be able to walk into a store and leave with a premium arrangement.
Good flower shops market well. They should provide specials for high-demand days, and they should celebrate lesser-known holidays. If a flower shop isn’t being creative, they’re not doing their job.
Quality of Selections
In addition to their versatility, a good flower store will maintain a range of high-quality arrangements.
You should look at vases to ensure your flowers will stay alive. But you should also look at vases to see how they complement the store’s flowers.
Mason jars have a wide body and a narrow lip with ribs. Their shape complements long flowers that whisp out of the top of the jar.
Rustic vases have round bottoms and narrow openings. Their shape supports top-heavy flowers like eucalyptuses and foliage. A wide selection of vases means that the store pays attention to detail.
A flower store shouldn’t compromise on quality to offer a low price. You should be able to buy the best flowers within your budget. If their flowers are wilting, the store is compromising on quality.
Most flowers don’t have strong scents. But make sure that the store offers flowers that do. Combine strong-scented flowers with strong-colored flowers.
A good flower store should offer flowers that are eco-friendly. Some flowers require pesticides and preservatives, but most do not. Ask your florist about what they do for environmental sustainability.
Tools to Maintain Flowers
A flower store needs some basic tools in order to succeed. They need to have refrigeration, both in their store and in their delivery vehicles.
Flowers will wilt and die in cars, even in the wintertime. Call the flower store and ask them what their refrigeration is like. If you can, go into the store and inspect the refrigeration yourself.
Take a look at their vases. A vase should have clean glass with no leaves in its bottom. Leaves will produce mildew and mold that reduce the lifespan of the flowers inside.
Florists should cut their flowers on the diagonal or on a deep bias. These cuts allow the flowers to intake more water, increasing their lifespan. Make sure the store cuts their flowers with garden shears, not scissors or a paring knife.
Florists use green tape, wire, and wooden picks to keep flowers upright. Ask the flower store what they use to maintain the structure of flowers.
Buying Flowers From the Best
Nothing says love like a bouquet of fresh flowers. But not every flower store is alike. Understand some qualities of good flower shops, and you can find flowers you can love.
A good flower store prioritizes customer service, personalizing their work to your needs. They should offer a wide range of flowers for different events. They should promote good-quality flowers, using strong tools to maintain and present their arrangements.
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