With Americans expected to spend billions of dollars on Valentine’s Day this year, local shops are looking to reap some of the profits.
One such shop is Flower Cottage of Morgan Hill, located on East First Street in Morgan Hill. Owner Jerry Ayala said Valentine’s Day, which takes place on Feb. 14, is by far the shop’s busiest day of the year. As of early this week, he was already busy processing orders for the holiday, and is expecting to take a lot more—especially with the Super Bowl on Feb. 12 and a history of many shoppers taking their time to secure gifts for their Valentine.
“With the Super Bowl (on Sunday), they’ll be calling Monday. There’s going to be a lot of last minute orders,” Ayala said.
Flower Cottage, which is in its 10th year at its current location, offers custom bouquets, imported roses and specialized arrangements, Ayala said. By far the most popular request for Valentine’s Day is red roses.
The shop also carries a variety of non-floral gifts, such as chocolate, balloons and teddy bears.
Throughout the year, Flower Cottage enjoys reliable business from many returning customers, Ayala said. Most of the shop’s orders are for special occasions such as birthdays, graduations and anniversaries—plus “a lot of ‘thinking of you’ and ‘get well.’”
Throughout the floral industry, weddings and events make up a significant chunk of sales. But Ayala said that’s not a major part of his business, as he does about 25 events per year.
And while sales slumped during the Covid-19 pandemic, Ayala said business has returned almost back to normal—largely thanks to the loyal, regular customers.
“There were a lot of customers who tried to support us (during) the pandemic, to keep us busy. We have a lot of really nice customers,” Ayala said.
According to the National Retail Federation, Americans are expected to spend $25.9 billion on Valentine’s Day this year. That’s up from $23.9 billion in 2022.
Consumers plan to spend an average of $192.80 on Valentine’s gifts—up from $175.41 last year, according to the NRF.
And it’s not just flowers that consumers are planning to gift. Top Valentine’s Day gifts this year include candy (57%), greeting cards (40%), flowers (37%), an evening out (32%), jewelry (21%), gift cards (20%) and clothing (19%), according to the results of a survey conducted by the NRF. The results were released Jan. 25.
“Valentine’s Day is a special occasion to shop for the people we care most about,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “This year, as consumers embrace spending on friends and loved ones, retailers are ready to help customers celebrate Valentine’s Day with memorable gifts at affordable prices.”
Flower Cottage is located at 35 East First St., Suite C. Orders can be placed online at the store’s website, theflowercottageofmorganhill.com.
