Florists Industry Profile

Companies in this industry sell flowers, potted plants, and other gifts from physical retail establishments. No major companies dominate the industry. Floral order-taking services such as 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, FTD, and Teleflora provide orders to independent florists but are also competitors.

The US florists industry includes about 16,000 retail flower shops with combined annual revenue of more than $5 billion. High growth is forecast for the next two years. Consumers' discretionary income is a major driver of demand.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand for flowers depends on discretionary consumer spending. The profitability of individual shops depends on effective marketing. Companies focus on a local or regional market and compete based on location, price, and customer service. Florists also compete with supermarkets and mass merchandisers selling flowers, which can often sell at lower prices because of volume purchases from growers or wholesalers. The industry is highly fragmented: the 50 largest companies account for less than 10 percent of revenue.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Major products are cut flower arrangements (about 55 percent of industry revenue), potted plants (15 percent), and loose cut flowers (15 percent). Stores may also sell vases, artificial flowers, and other gift items. The top-selling flowers are roses, carnations, and lilies.

Florists buy product from wholesalers and importers, who in turn buy from growers. Imports from Colombia and Ecuador account for about 75 percent of cut flowers sold in the US. Wholesalers typically deliver cut flowers several times per ...