8 Reasons why Flowers from a Florist are Better than Flowers from a Grocery Store
It can be tempting to pop into a grocery store on your way to an event or friend’s place and grab a bunch of limp but colourful flowers, we get it. In a pinch, grocery store flowers might be the only option but honestly, they’re never the best option. As professional florists and floral designers we are invested in providing beautiful, long lasting, carefully curated bouquets. Your local grocery store is more focused on keeping raspberries fresh than flowers with a focus on quantity over quality. Here are some reasons why flowers from your local florist are better than the flowers you’ll find in the supermarket produce department.
Local Blooms. At Garden Party Flowers we buy as much of our stock from local farms as we can. This means you’re supporting several local businesses when you purchase from a florist. Buying directly from a local florist lessens the supply chain incurring a smaller, more sustainable footprint. We have access to so many beautiful, seasonal, local flowers and love the many farmers and growers we work with.
Freshness. Local flowers stay fresher longer. They travel less and make it into your home in the same period other flowers are still on a plane over the ocean. Also, flowers at the grocery store are stored at room temperature, often squished into buckets. When you go to a florist, you’ll find fresh flowers stored in a cooler, not together with other varieties until the time comes to design the arrangement.
Design. Our florists are trained and experienced. Nothing is mass produced. Each bouquet is custom designed based on the freshest flowers available. If orders are made ahead, we can customize colours and styles for the event or occasion. Our florists use a wide variety of the best blooms to maximize the flower budget and create stunning bouquets that last.
Presentation. Flowers bought at the grocery store look like, well, grocery store flowers. At a florist, we take time and care to ensure the presentation of your bouquet or arrangement is beautiful. Receiving flowers is an experience and whether the flowers are for you or a loved one we want that initial feeling to be one of luxury and joy.
Quality over Quantity. Your local grocery store likely sells everything from toothbrushes to ramen noodles to bouquets of flowers. Their goals are to move products through their store. They aren’t specialists in any of the products they carry, including the flowers. A local florist is invested in providing the best quality, most beautiful flowers in their studio. Flowers are their focus. They may sell less bouquets a day but each will be high quality with top level customer service. Flowers are what we do.
Keeping Your Dollars Local. According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, 66 cents of every dollar spent at a small business stays local. Only 11 cents stick around when customers choose to shop at multinational grocery chains. Every dollar spent at your business supports local growth.
Selection. If you have a vision for the type of bouquet you’re looking for, the grocery store is unlikely to meet your needs. Based on the variety of events, occasions and orders a florist is working on combined with the season and local flower markets, a florist will have a much wider variety of blooms available. Often they can source specific flowers if you have a particular desire and a budget to match.
Delivery. With a florist, you can have your bouquet delivered. That saves even the time of running into the grocery store. Also, when you buy online, we won’t try to sell you a chocolate bar or a magazine at check out.
Save time order ahead on our website for pick up or delivery.