Floral Seasonal Transitions

Kerry Herndon, President and CEO of Kerry's Nursery, Inc.
 

September 2010

The long, hot summer is ending and the great transition to fall is in full swing. Summer styles need to leave the department now. With one food holiday after another, floral departments will be challenged to keep their share of the grocery spend. September and October are times that people prepare the nest for the coming winter. Still just a little early for fall colors, these two months can benefit from a splash of tropical color. People want to cling to summer for a little while longer.

Things change at the end of October. Halloween is now a great decorating holiday. Consider dark leaves in dark or black pots. People love to decorate for Halloween. Help your customers with displays that say Halloween.

After Halloween it is all about Thanksgiving. Two floral categories must be targeted. These are table centerpiece and home decoration for entertaining and host/hostess gifts. We target the obvious centerpiece business and miss a huge opportunity with gift floral. Gift items must be very portable and affordable. Most of us will attend more than one holiday event at someone else’s home. Flowers and plants are always the most thoughtful and appreciated things to bring along. Host gifts are more difficult to identify and merchandise without explicit signage. People fear rejection so the floral product must feel safe to buy and give. Help customers know that this product was selected for giving. That will make your customer more confident and increase gift sales. Thanksgiving is about traditional harvest colors. Even in the south we can pretend we have fall. Hunter greens, oranges, and yellows fit the season and the mood.

The Christmas and Hanukah decorating season are less traditional than Thanksgiving. Some customers are satisfied with traditional reds and green. More customers are venturing into black and silver. Any shiny metallic container will work. White flowers in a silver container is always perfect at this time of year. Don’t be afraid of copper and gold. This is a time for bold expression. Your creativity will be rewarded with increased sales.