Floral Summer Sales Tips: Diversify with Bulk Wedding Flowers

Most businesses are cyclical, but when it comes to the floral market, the peaks and valleys can be especially steep. On the supply side of your business, weather patterns, like la Nina, cut into flower production in South America. While on the demand side, summer vacation time can turn your website and storefront into ghost towns. The good news is that during leaner times, bulk wedding flowers can help you make ends meet.

What can you do to keep sales steady during slower months?

The key to keeping your business afloat during slower months is to diversify by branching out into related markets. Focus on a niche audience where your expertise could be a huge benefit. Specializing will give you that edge over your competition making your business stand out and giving that niche market more of a reason to call you. You’ll be amazed at the difference a small, but engaged, niche audience can make.

Even if the idea of becoming a wedding floral designer is unappealing, weddings are still a great niche option. It’s no secret that the wedding industry in the US is worth hundreds of billions of dollars. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to tap into that market whenever you experienced a dip in sales?

There are many ways to reach out to the wedding market besides designing bouquets and centerpieces. All you have to do is think outside of the box. One easy way to grab a bit of the wedding market is to buy wholesale flowers that are especially popular with brides and start marketing yourself as a supplier of bulk wedding flowers.

 

Here are some quick ways to get started:

  • Email special offers to brides.
  • Pin pictures of bulk wedding flowers available in your shop.
  • Start blogging about flower arranging tricks of the trade.
  • Share social media updates with pictures of arrangements designed with your flowers.
  • Or, better yet, encourage your customers to post their pictures with a hashtag link to your website.

Keep in mind that reaching out to the wedding market doesn’t mean you have to start marketing yourself exclusively as a wedding florist. This strategy doesn’t require you to do anything differently, except making bulk wedding flowers available to brides who are looking for flowers. The point is to stay true to yourself and market what you love to people who will appreciate its value. Sounds simple enough, right?

bulk wedding flowers

What varieties of bulk wedding flowers are popular with brides?

Appealing to the today’s bride starts with knowing what flowers are most popular with this audience. The best flowers for apprehensive brides, who want their arrangements to look professional and romantic as long as possible are hardy varieties. Hardy varieties have a long vase life (so a bride can focus on looking her absolute best, rather than worrying about wilted petals in her centerpieces on her big day); they are relatively heat resistant and easy to care for; and of course, easy to work with (no straws, wiring, or other special props needed).

Here are some suggestions for hardy varieties that brides love based on the experiences of the experts at FMI Farms:

  • Peonies: Peonies, with their large blooms, are breathtakingly romantic, smell so sweet, and come in a variety of colors. It is so beautiful to watch the tight buds unfold into gorgeous layers of soft petals.
  • Roses: What could be more romantic than roses? More traditional brides want roses–the biggest, most luscious varieties of roses they can find. And roses can even be dyed a variety of colors to coordinate perfectly with the bridal party.
  • Lilies: Lilies are some of the most regal flowers available. Their long stems make them perfect for bouquets. They come in a wide range of colors, all the way from bright white to a deep, dark burgundy.
  • Gerbers: Gerbera daisies and poms are spray flowers, which means they have more than one bloom per stem making them excellent filler flowers for bouquets. They are easy to work with and heat resistant.
  • Kale: Kale is a unique, incredibly versatile, and easy to care for option. Believe it or not, fall is coming and kale makes a lovely addition to any arrangement. It’s especially popular for outdoor weddings. Kale is not just for salads anymore!
  • Hydrangeas: Finally, hydrangeas make beautiful focal or accent flowers. Their woody stems make them especially tough and able to stand up straight even in the hottest temperatures.

If you would like more advice about what types of flowers might appeal to your customers, the friendly staff at FMI Farms will happily assist you. We strive for the best customer service in the industry. Give us a call today at 1-866-916-5360 or contact us and become acquainted with the FMI Farms experience.

Don’t let the summer slump get you down!

Knowing how to tap into the wedding market by supplying bulk wedding flowers to brides can help you turn the summer sales slump into a minor bump in the road. Instead of sitting around and waiting for sales to pick-up, use this slower time to market to a new niche market. Still, even with the best laid plans, there are possible pitfalls.

To make sure you are ready to handle seasonal changes all year round, follow these tips:

  • Plan ahead: As you think through your new marketing strategy, monitor your business’s growth carefully. Don’t be afraid to revisit the plan and make adjustments often.
  • Have clear goals for each season: Even if you know certain clients (for example, corporate clients) are more engaged during the holidays, stay in touch with them all year long. This personal attention could be the difference-maker that sets you apart from your competition.
  • Be flexibly creative: Be on the lookout for new problems to solve and solve them in innovative ways. If you can get the hang of this, you will quickly become invaluable to your customers.
  1. Keep everyone in the loop: Let your clients and employees know whenever you make major business changes. While the shift might seem obvious to you, remember that others might not be as aware of the new direction.

Follow these tips and you’ll be well-positioned to take advantage of all the new opportunities your more diverse business brings. Jumping into the wedding market can seem intimidating at first, but it can be as easy as marketing bulk wedding flowers to cost conscious brides.
How do you protect your floral business from the natural ebb and flow of supply and demand?