"It was one of the first things that fell during lockdown but now the act of flower-giving is making a comeback in a big way." In the last six months both Tesco and its main supplier, MM Flowers, based in Cambridgeshire, who are one of the UK and Europe's largest suppliers of cut flowers, have seen demand soar.
At Tesco, particularly notable is that demand for its top-of-the-range Finest bouquets has soared by nearly 25 percent.That's roughly the equivalent of an extra half a million more bouquets bought between April and now versus the same time period last year.
The top five most popular Finest range bouquets bought at Tesco during the last 6 months are:
- Fleur Bouquet - a purple premium mix of roses, chrysanthemum blooms and antirhinums
- Antiqua - an ultra-premium white mix of roses, chrysanthemum blooms & ammi majus
- Rose and Lily Bouquet - mix of finest red & cerise roses paired with premium lilies and additional eucalyptus foliage
- Florence Bouquet - premium pink roses mixed with chrysanthemum blooms along with the added texture of eryngium
- Ray Of Sunshine - Cerise roses accompanied by yellow blooms paired with (when in season) British-grown sunflowers
Photo credits: Tesco
Tesco flower buyer Ryan Daley said:"Judging by soaring sales over the last six months, the age of romance is back as Brits lavish their loved ones with beautiful bouquets.
"Flower giving unfortunately saw a decline during the Covid lockdown period a few years ago - for obvious reasons - and has taken a while to get back to where it was five years ago.
"Not only is flower gifting back but it would appear that many people are making up for lost time judging by the number of high quality blooms they are lavishing on family and loved ones right now."
MM Flowers, who are based in Alconbury, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, and are one of the leading suppliers of quality flowers in the UK and Europe, say that they are also seeing rising demand, particularly for premium bouquets.
In the last 13 weeks, the company has seen volume growth of more than 10 percent – equal to an increase in orders of more than five million bouquets per annum across its operations.
The company says its latest data also shows that the UK consumer is spending more on flowers than they have in the last two years.
MM Flowers Group Product & Marketing Director Nikki Rider said: "At MM Flowers, we believe flowers are the ultimate expression of care and connection. We're thrilled to see people recognising the value that flowers bring to homes and the lives of their loved ones.
"Whether it's celebrating a special occasion, brightening up a space, or simply lifting someone's spirits, flowers embody the emotions we want to share. At MM Flowers, we're proud to be part of those meaningful moments."
For more information:
Tesco
www.tescoplc.com