By now, you’ve heard the radio ads. FTD and 1-800-Flowers are offering “Early Valentine’s Day Specials,” and just like every year they’re trying harder – and taking action earlier – to secure as many orders as possible.

Most of the major floral retailers now offer discounts with price breaks for early shoppers – sound familiar? The national gatherers are securing orders fast, and with those orders they build relationships with the florists.

According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), the average customer in 2020 spent almost $200 each on Valentine’s Day in 2020, which was up over 20% from the previous year. Valentine’s week is NOT a time to take up prime display space with cheap, low-cost gifts. The difference between displaying more $200 gifts versus taking up valuable space with gifts costing less than $100 can make or break the bank in 2021. This strategy will be even more important in 2021 because Valentine’s Day falls on a Sunday.

The customers are out there – and they have the money to spend – but the market is crowded.

Online-only retailers have resources that the small local flower shops simply can’t compete against. Since we are unable to go toe-to-toe with national companies and their large budgets, we must focus our marketing efforts, target new customers with the tools we have available and offer a personalized service.

Valentine’s Day is a reason to order flowers…

Orders are a reason to grow your business…

Every order is an opportunity!

We’re so quick to complain about order-gatherers taking our business, but can we blame them? If we aren’t willing to provide our customers the service they need, then the answer is no.

Just because we can’t take a customer’s order doesn’t mean that they’re going to skip sending flowers to their Valentine – it means they’re going to move to the next name on their Google search and order from them instead.

This time of year, the pond is stocked full of potential new customer relationships. It is our responsibility to cast our lines and catch those fish before someone else does. Choosing not to do so does not only lower your revenue for Valentine’s Day, it lowers it for the whole year! If a customer has a good experience, they are going to go back to your competitor.

What can you do now to be fully prepared to maximize revenue for Valentine’s Day? Here are 3 easy steps to help you prepare for Valentine’s Day

1. Update your website categories. Make sure that all of your offerings are active and easy to find on your website. If your website is attractive and easy to navigate, customers are more likely to place an order with you.

2. Promote Valentine’s Day offerings in local newspapers and on social media. Utilize media outlets to promote your business and remind potential customers that they have a full-service local florist available to take care of their floral needs – in town and anywhere across the country.

3. Gather orders as early as possible. Offering specials like “Valentine’s Roses at January Prices” is a great way to generate orders, but it’s also important to offer incentives to keep the orders coming in early. People have a tendency to put tasks off until later, but by doing so, they often limit their own options and cause you unneeded stress and frustration.

P.S. – This is the last week for Valentine’s Roses at January Prices. Be sure to use our banners and get the word out to secure orders! And remember, your Bloomerang team is here for you! Call us today.