Why Seasonal Pricing Matters
If you are buying red roses at 45p a stem in June and paying over a pound in February, yet charging the same retail price year-round, your profit margin absorbs the difference. Most UK florists experience wholesale cost swings of 40% to 200% on popular stems across the year. Seasonal pricing is not about gouging customers — it is about aligning retail prices with the real cost of flowers.
The UK Florist Calendar
- Valentine’s Day (14 February) — highest-revenue day, red roses at peak wholesale price
- Mother’s Day (March) — broad demand, spring stems at a seasonal premium
- Wedding season (May to September) — sustained demand for premium stems like peonies and garden roses
- Christmas (December) — wreaths, table centres, door swags, gift bouquets
- January — the post-Christmas lull, your quietest trading month
How Wholesale Prices Shift
- Red roses cost 45p to 60p per stem in summer but climb to £1.00 to £1.50 before Valentine’s Day
- Peonies are £0.80 to £1.20 per stem in May-June from British growers, but £2.50 to £4.00 as imports outside season
- British-grown summer flowers such as sweet peas and dahlias offer excellent margins June to September
- Festive foliage like blue spruce and pine is cheapest when bought early in November
When to Raise Prices
Raise prices when wholesale costs spike and customer willingness to pay is highest — Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Christmas. Maintain a core everyday price list year-round, then publish separate seasonal collections with their own pricing for peak periods. This avoids the awkwardness of visibly increasing your regular prices.
When to Hold or Lower Prices
During quieter months like January, consider promotions or steady pricing to maintain footfall. A “January Treat” bouquet at £25 keeps customers coming through the door and prevents them drifting to supermarkets.
Valentine’s Day Pricing in Practice
Suppose your wholesale cost per stem in February is £1.20. A dozen roses requires £14.40 in stems. Add sundries at around £3.00, and your material cost is £17.40. At a 3x markup, your retail price is £52.20 — round to £55.00. At 3.5x, you reach £60.90 — round to £60.00.
Use the Dozen Red Rose Calculator to model different wholesale costs, and the Red Rose Profit Analyzer to forecast your total Valentine’s profit across different volumes and price points.
Mother’s Day Pricing
Spring flowers are well priced in March, with tulips, narcissi, and hyacinths available at reasonable rates. The strategy is volume and efficiency rather than premium pricing. Pre-make as many bouquets as possible, offer two or three set price points (£30, £45, £65), and your markup can stay at a standard 3x because wholesale costs are not inflated like Valentine’s roses.
Summer Wedding Pricing
Wedding work commands higher markups — typically 3.5x to 4x — because it involves consultation time, venue visits, and installation. Build proposals using projected wholesale prices for the actual wedding date, not today’s prices. Peonies at £0.90 in June might cost £3.00 if the wedding falls in September.
Use the Arrangement Calculator to build detailed recipes for each wedding element and price each one individually.
Christmas Pricing
Wreath-making is labour-intensive. Most florists spend 45 minutes to an hour on a standard 14-inch door wreath. At £22 per hour labour, plus £8 to £12 in materials, you should charge £45 to £65 for a standard wreath. Premium designs with dried oranges, cinnamon, and luxury ribbon should sit at £75 to £95.
January Survival Strategy
Focus on products with strong margins and zero wastage risk: workshops (£45 per head with twelve attendees generates £540), gift vouchers, dried and preserved arrangements, and indoor plant sales.
Communicating Price Changes
- Publish separate seasonal menus rather than crossing out everyday prices
- Include a brief note on your website explaining that wholesale costs vary through the year, just like any fresh produce
- Emphasise value and craftsmanship rather than defending cost
- Use social media to show behind-the-scenes wholesaler trips — customers who understand the process are more accepting of the price
