Prepare for take off at Valentine's
In a story that could bring joy (or horror!) to florists, transport service company Gopher emphasises just how last-minute Valentine orders are. Because their research shows that there will be a 389% increase in orders and deliveries* between 13th and 14th February 2023 with only 7 of the 26 major flower selling operators able to offer same or guaranteed next day delivery.
The rapid delivery network is predicting it will receive four times as many orders on 14th February (for same day delivery) compared to the previous day, with previous years’ order data acting as an “early warning” system that highlights peak days of activity.
Additionally, Gophr is expecting a 10% YoY increase (vs daily average) in the number of delivery journeys it will make overall on Wednesday, February 14 on behalf of trade clients not just for flowers, but also the grocery, pet and retail sectors. This will make Valentine’s Day Gophr’s second busiest delivery day of the year, after Christmas.
Gophr number crunchers have also analysed the delivery options offered by the UK’s top florists. Gophr’s LAST MINUTE LOVERS report, reveals that only seven florists (Amarante Flowers, Appleyard Flowers, Flom, Flowerbx, Flower Station, Interflora, and Ronny Colbie) are giving their customers the choice of same-day delivery. (Ed’s note: Obviously they are not including the over 5000 independent florist shops who ALWAYS offer same day delivery!)
Graham Smith, strategic account director at Gophr, commented, “Valentine’s Day remains florists’ biggest day of the year by a wide margin. The fact that 220 million roses were sold in the UK on February 14th last year alone shows that romance isn’t quite dead yet!”
“Like any other special occasion, time poor consumers often leave things to the last minute. Valentine’s Day is no exception, with many ‘Last Minute Lovers’ having to turn to florists who offer same-day delivery so that they can make that romantic gesture.
“That means that florists need to have a broader choice of delivery options for their customer base, especially around this time of year when competition is fierce in the flower game.”.
The LAST MINUTE LOVERS report also reveals that love birds are diversifying their gift choices with Gophr seeing a 15% increase in retail, groceries, and pet deliveries on Valentine’s Day.
However, it’s clear that flowers are still the number one choice with only 9% of consumers swapping flowers for chocolates, and 11% who would rather cook a special meal at home for their significant other than buy flowers.
Pet lovers on the other hand are a different story with 25% of those who own pets, more inclined to spoil their pets with a gift for Valentine’s Day than their lovers.
Graham Smith, concluded, “Although consumers' preferences for Valentine's Day are changing, that doesn’t mean that their delivery options are. They still expect and experience same-day delivery across all sectors.”
The full LAST MINUTE LOVERS report can be found here
