CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx \u2014 If your valentine told you flowers are too expensive this year, unfortunately, they may be right.<\/p>\n
Local florists are facing a perfect storm of challenges that have driven up the cost of Valentine’s Day blooms by as much as 15%.<\/p>\n
LaToya Rodriguez, owner of Rose Soiree, says recent cold weather completely froze over local farms she sources from.<\/p>\n
“Lost entire crops that they were expecting to sell for Valentine’s Day,” Rodriguez said.<\/p>\n
When local sources fail, florists must outsource to other places, even other countries. But with imports come tariffs, driving prices even higher.<\/p>\n
“75% of the world’s roses are grown in South America. So now we have to pay for imports and tariffs to get those goods to the U.S.,” Rodriguez said.<\/p>\n
Those tariffs forced Rodriguez to raise her prices by 15%. What once cost $100 may now cost closer to $115.<\/p>\n
“My price is 15% higher. I’m not taking that home at the end of the day,” Rodriguez said.<\/p>\n
Instead of pushing full bouquets, she tries to help customers stay within their budget by offering alternatives.<\/p>\n
“I’m encouraging my customers to mix in a few roses,” Rodriguez said.<\/p>\n
Rodriguez calls Valentine’s Day the “Super Bowl” for florists, as it’s crucial for their annual revenue.<\/p>\n
“This one week of sales sustains my business for about three months,” Rodriguez said.<\/p>\n
But with all these added setbacks, she’s seen her sales drop in half compared to last year.<\/p>\n
“I was prepared for a decrease but I wasn’t prepared for that much of a decrease,” Rodriguez said.<\/p>\n
Despite the challenges, Rodriguez shared a simple message for this Valentine’s Day.<\/p>\n
“I think the world is so heavy right now. Buy the flowers, tell people that you love them,” Rodriguez said.<\/p>\n
Rodriguez says she’s still taking Valentine’s Day orders through February 11 and encourages customers to shop local.<\/p>\n
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.<\/p>\n
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