Valentine's Day is coming up

“People need a splash of color on dull days”

Chemical-free and beneficial insect-supported Styrian heralds of spring

(Bild: Foto Fischer)

Florists are gearing up for the most important day of the year. Valentine's Day is on the calendar on Friday, and Styrians are planning to spend around 70 euros per head on it this year.

At Flowerpower boss Christian Hofmann, the whole family will be in the store on Friday. Year after year, they also come from neighboring provinces to cope with the rush. "It gets busy on February 14 because everyone wants fresh cut flowers, of course." This year, they are lucky that Valentine's Day falls on a Friday. In years when it falls on the weekend, experience shows that sales drop by around 50 percent.

Up to five percent of annual sales in one day
And that really hurts, as this one special day of the year is responsible for up to five percent of annual sales in the sector, says Johann Anton Obendrauf, Master of the Gardeners' and Florists' Guild. "It is by far the strongest day of the year and is also important because the calendar is very quiet all around." However, the dull February weather can also be a blessing for business: "People just need a splash of color," says Obendrauf.

Master florist Obendrauf is positive about Valentine's Day because "we sell a positive product".

(Bild: Wirtschaftsbund)

The average budget of flower lovers is likely to be around 70 euros per person this year, according to a recent study by the trade association. Three years ago, this figure was already at 84 euros. Florists' margins are shrinking, partly because they are struggling with higher unit costs in times of general inflation. There is also a lot of competition from outside the trade: flowers can be found in DIY stores or at petrol stations, and of the ten or so florists in the immediate vicinity of Hofmann's store in the early days, "three or four remain today".

Orders around the world, messages not always festive
Creativity is required. In addition to extras such as chocolate, champagne and teddy bears, online sales are an important pillar of Hofmann's business. He started this 20 years ago in his store in Schönaugasse in Graz and was considered a pioneer; now digital business accounts for around 30 percent of turnover and was particularly vital during the coronavirus pandemic. "The orders come from everywhere, even from America."

Florist Christian Hofmann is ready for the rush on Valentine's Day.

(Bild: Steirerkrone)

Flower greetings are processed and delivered according to the customer's wishes, even if they sometimes get confused. "You often wonder whether the message really triggers what it's supposed to," Hofmann smiles. There is often an inside joke behind the lyrics. "A few years ago, a man sent three identical orders to three different addresses. We simply delivered it once and waited to see if there would be a complaint." None came, the customer was apparently well organized.

Beneficial insects instead of chemicals
The ranking of the most popular types of flowers for Valentine's Day has always remained constant: tulips, carnations, lilies and gerberas are at the top of the list, while red roses remain the perennial favorite. The trend towards local suppliers is on the rise, which also has a positive effect on shelf life. The Styrian Chamber of Agriculture also attaches great importance to this: Styrian horticultural businesses rely on natural production with beneficial insects such as ladybugs, predatory mites or parasitic wasps instead of chemicals, as Ferdinand Lienhart, Chairman of the Styrian Gardeners and Nurseries, emphasizes.

Floristry remains feminine
The fact that the business is primarily run by women is unlikely to change any time soon. "I am definitely an exotic in my profession," says guild master Obendrauf, who currently has one male apprentice in his business in Graz. Every year, one or two boys take the final apprenticeship exams. "Many simply have no idea what opportunities floristry has to offer," says Obendrauf, promoting his sector, which, like many others, is looking for skilled workers. This varies from region to region, but "overall, there are too few rather than too many".