ORLANDO, Fla. — Valentine’s Day is the Super Bowl for flower shops, but cold weather and snowstorms around the country have caused problems for some local stores.
“It’s our main day of the year,” said Taila Lustri, owner of Harry’s Famous Flowers in Orlando. “Last year alone we made 1,000 deliveries.”
What You Need To Know
Owners of an Orlando flower shop say they have faced supply delays ahead of Valentine’s Day due to snowstorms up north
Taila and Andreza Lustri, who own Harry’s Famous Flowers, say shipments of vases were slowed just days before their busiest holiday
Americans are expected to spend $3.1 billion on flowers this Valentine’s Day, according to the National Retail Federation
Despite delays, the shop hired extra drivers and designers to ensure customers received their arrangements
The National Retail Federation reports that flowers are one of the most popular gift categories this Valentine’s Day, with Americans expected to spend a total of $3.1 billion this year.
Behind the scenes of Valentine’s Day season at Harry’s Famous Flowers, owners Taila and Andreza Lustri say it’s been a race against the weather.
“We had a little issue this year with the vases for Valentine’s because of the storm up north, and most of our vases are from America,” Andreza said.
Andreza said they found out some deliveries had been delayed just days before their busiest holiday.
“We did some substitutions,” Andreza said. “It wasn’t our first option, but what can we do?”
Still, the owners say love waits for no one. They’ve been working longer hours, calling multiple suppliers and getting creative to make sure customers don’t leave empty handed.
“We have temporary drivers because we cannot do a thousand deliveries by ourselves,” Taila said. “We have people helping. We have extra designers. People here for the front.”
Despite the delays, the owners said the support they have received from the community has meant everything.