For everyone who has purchased flowers lately and been appalled at the prices, here’s an update from all of us professionals at Copper Penny Flowers: we are also appalled!!

What gives? Why are prices higher than usual? Several factors are creating this market increase.

Unrelated to COVID, production out of Ecuador and Colombia (the world’s largest producers of roses) has been slower than normal due to a La Nina Effect, which occurs in late fall and is likely this year to continue through April. This unique weather pattern causes weather fluctuations including cold air and excess moisture flow off the coast of South America and onto the growing fields in Colombia and Ecuador. Production is expected to be down approximately 10-15% due to this effect.

Next, as the world starts to envision life beyond COVID, the world is planning weddings, events and celebrations. Consumer demand is on the upswing and is simply outpacing supply. Couple that with all the farms that struggled with preparing new plantings during the shut-down phase of the pandemic, partly as a result of labor shortages and partly in response to unknown future demand. The result is fewer flowers to meet an increased demand. Regional and local farms we may have used in the past were forced to shut down or close during the pandemic. They may or may not reopen.

Holland is the epicenter of the flower world. Reduced plantings during the pandemic shut-down have resulted in higher product costs across Holland’s flower-market auction system—resulting  in broad spectrum price increases across the globe.

To add one more layer, limited passenger flights from all origins has caused a reduction in air cargo space. In the past, boxes of shipped flowers could regularly join in for the ride in the planes’ cooler under-belly cargo areas. Now, fewer flights and passengers means freight costs for the more limited space have become insanely expensive.

Mother’s Day is around the corner. Please don’t assume florists automatically raise flower prices at Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day because we can. Flowers are a commodity and this year, in addition to the increased demand around a floral holiday, we also have COVID and weather factors influencing market prices.

For Mother’s Day, for our brides, and for all other flower events, we continue to offer the quality floral designs that are the hallmark of Copper Penny Flowers. When market prices decline, our shop prices reflect the lowered market prices. Here’s one constant we know: Life really is better when we can enjoy some blooms along the way! Maybe today is just the day for flowers…