Melbourne Florists Feel the Force of the Pandemic
With many local and independently owned businesses being hit hard by ongoing coronavirus restrictions and lockdowns, many Australian businesses have had their worst year on record
MELBOURNE, Australia, March 9, 2021 (Newswire.com) - One industry that has been severely affected by prolonged and snap lockdowns is Australia's florists. Local Melbourne flower shops, such as Amazing Graze Flowers, have been forced to discard blooms they could have otherwise sold.
While other industries have also been affected, the florist industry, in particular, is a slave to the nature of its product. Once flowers have been cut, they have a short shelf-life where they either need to be sold or discarded. Lockdowns have put Amazing Graze Flowers and many florists into a less-than-desirable situation as they were forced to get rid of stock ordered in anticipation of flower delivery in Melbourne.
The halt of events and weddings also had repercussions for local florists, reducing one of their most profitable revenue streams for close to a year. Now that gatherings are permitted, there are those who are making big orders again. However, local florists say that many have decreased their budget for flowers, opting to have a scaled-back version of the event they'd once imagined.
On the other end of the industry, flower farms have been unable to supply florists with their usual order quantity. Valentine's Day, in particular, was difficult this year as orders for flower delivery Melbourne-wide came flooding in while local businesses were unable to meet the high demand for long-stemmed red roses. Greg Neil of Australian Roses told ABC News he estimated more than a 40% drop in the number of roses that he would be able to supply to local florists.
In addition, Chinese New Year coincided with Valentine's Day this year - two holidays that call for large orders of red flowers online Melbourne-wide and beyond. With fewer crops planted this year and fewer overseas shipments coming to Australia, old-school romantics were encouraged to opt for less-traditional choices.
Despite all of this, many flower shops like Amazing Graze Flowers have made it into the new year. They will continue to depend on locals to turn to bouquets and arrangements to celebrate everything from birthdays and weddings to housewarmings.
3 Rose St, Essendon
Victoria, 3040
+61 (03) 9374 2929
Source: Amazing Graze Flowers
