News
Preparing for Mother’s Day 2023 – Tips and Trends
April 13, 2023
As a part of our focus on fostering the next generation of floral industry members, AFE is pleased to feature content directly from members of our Young Professionals Council (YPC)! This article on Mother’s Day 2023 comes directly from Gina Tarquinio, a floral designer at An Enchanted Florist at Skippack Village. This piece contains photos of some of Gina’s floral designs (view Gina’s portfolio here).
Mother’s Day is right around the corner on Sunday, May 14th. This holiday is traditionally known for taking the time to show extra love and appreciation for Moms and Mother figures in our lives.
According to the National Retail Federation, Mother’s Day is the 3rd most lucrative holiday in the industry, following Valentine’s Day and Christmas/Hanukkah. Mother’s Day is responsible for 26% of sales and 24% of sales volume. In 2022, NRF says 84% of people surveyed said they planned to celebrate Mother’s Day, spending an average of about $245 on Mother’s Day gifts. The top 3 categories for gifts included Greeting Cards at 75%, Flowers at 72%, and Outings at 57%. When NRF asked, “When purchasing gifts, what is most important to gift-givers?” they rated a gift that is unique as the most important (46%) and cheaper/more cost-effective as least important (17%).
Right behind unique gifts, gifts that create a special memory came next (41%). According to a recent Floral Marketing Fund Study on Increasing Demand and Satisfaction in the Floral Industry, consumers have overall positive associations with cut flowers. Respondents were studied by generation. In this report, Baby Boomers and older are grouped together and are defined as those born in 1964 or before, and Gen X are those born from 1965-1984. Those two age brackets, the ages of many mom figures, both reported that they feel cut flowers positively impact both your overall mood as well as overall household mood. Gen X also perceived cut flowers as helping boost workplace morale and reduce stress. In this study, Mother’s Day saw the highest percentage of consumers buying cut flowers at 51%.
As connoisseurs of fresh-cut flower arranging, our job on the retail floral frontline is to make sure we communicate all the positive effects of flowers and create moments that are unforgettable between the customer and the flower recipient.
Mother’s Day is a holiday that provides more flexibility to florists compared to other holidays, such as Valentine’s Day, where “day of” demands are high. Mother’s Day can be extended throughout the week leading up to which makes easier weight load distribution for teams in retail floral shops, delivery routing & scheduling, and staffing, among other important preparations.
What can we expect to see?
Fresh-cut flowers are always a favorite. Wrapped bouquets and arrangements have always been a staple when it comes to gifting flowers. Dish gardens and other trendy plants are other go-to options. Gathered from several sources, I researched predicted trends for the Spring/Summer 2023 Season. What I found were common themes of:
- ‘Earthy’; featuring neutral taupes, grays, sage green, mustard yellow, terracotta and similar colors. Use of concrete and minimalistic containers to compliment these colors.
- ‘Calm & Tranquil’; cool colors like pale blues & lavenders, beach icons, silver accents, succulents, dusty miller, lavender and moss give the feeling of being seaside.
- ‘Fairy Garden’; figures of gnomes, mushrooms, ladybugs and fairies create a playful feel. Use of wood containers, copper/bronze accents and colors like bright red & yellow set the tone. Flowers that easily create the story are sunflowers, anemones, craspedia & liatris.
The overall trend theme for 2023 showcases bold colors and tropicals; ‘Bright and Cheery’ is also in the forecast for this Mother’s Day! The bold color trend is echoed by Pantone’s Color of the Year:Viva Magenta 18-1750. Viva Magenta stems from the red family of colors and undoubtedly encompasses bold and bright. Viva Magenta pairs well with neutrals and vivid colors too.
How can we put a spin on the originals?
- Limit arrangement offerings and focus on color palettes. Shoppers can choose color themes that best fit the personality or favorite color of the mom they are shopping for. This shows more personalization when selecting the flowers to gift and gives the florist a wider range of flowers to work with. Based on my own experience, most customers request/prioritize certain colors.
- Think outside the box when it comes to container choice! Frequently I hear, “She has so many vases. I think I will just stick with a wrapped bouquet.” Use active listening during your interactions with shoppers to hone in on things that the special mom who will be receiving the flowers may have as hobbies or interests to add personal touches when you can. Stand out from the crowd and create an impactful experience by using a vessel such as a keepsake mug, a watering can for a garden. This unique feature will make the recipient feel like both you and their loved one went above and beyond for them!
- Offer add-on Items. Offer special add on’s such as mylar balloons, special gift wrap, container upgrades, candies etc.
Employee Refreshers for Mother’s Day 2023
While I know many of you are experts in your field, here are some quick refreshers to share with your employees to make sure Mother’s Day 2023 is the most successful yet!
Know your customer and the end consumer: Be sure to find out if the gift giver may know of any sensitivities and/or allergies that the recipient may have to help when choosing flowers to utilize in arrangements/bouquets.
Encourage ongoing loyalty: Reach out to repeat customers as a courtesy to help them pre-order Discounts and loyalty programs are proven motivators for purchasing, so make sure to educate your customers on any existing sales or programs. They will feel even more valued as a customer!
Price point variety: Make sure that your offerings include something for every budget.
Highlight diversified inventory: Mother’s Day is not rose-focused like Valentine’s Day. Show your customers many options with mixed flowers. Another thing to encourage here is gift bundling (including things like greeting cards, balloons, sweets, and more) to increase impulse buying and expand profits.
Based on current trend prepare to be bold! And, have some tropicals on hand! Ginger is a good choice because of its bright color that is similar to Viva Magenta. Ginger is just one example of a focal flower that can create an impactful WOW factor.
