September, the quiet before the show

September 24, 2024

September brings many things:  back to school, fall leaves depending on where you live, cooler mornings and hopefully we can start saying goodbye to the heat.  This is how it feels in Arkansas, I hope that wherever you are it’s just as pleasant.

September also has a lot of micro holidays, and I hope you took advantage of them for extra sales.  In August we had many supermarkets that participated in Girlfriends Day on August 1st.  This is a growing micro holiday that started to take off a few years ago especially on social media with the younger consumers.  IFPA hopes to capture the sales increase for that week and will share the increase (or decrease) from 2023 at the Global Show Floral Committee Meeting.  

These micro holidays are our best bet for increasing sales.  You know the saying, doing the same thing you have always done will only get you the same results.  The Floral Demand Creation Task Force will have an update on getting involved for 2025.    They will be voting on the 3 best Micro Holidays to get behind for 2025.  We encourage all supermarkets big and small to get behind these Micro Holidays and make a difference in the sales in your stores.  

Not too many years ago, Lane DeVries from The Sun Valley Group had a roll of stickers that he placed everywhere to get people involved in International Women’s Day March 8th every year.   That grew into what it is today because one man kept bringing it up.  Imagine what we could do with an entire industry encouraging these day and creating more of a sales experience for the Plant and Cut Flower Industry.

Keep an eye out for our requests, or visit the Floral Committee to learn about the Floral Task Forces' efforts. Get involved with these Task Forces to support the whole industry.

At the very end of August, Chrysanthemum Week was in full swing in Medellin.  There were lots of beautiful new varieties to see.  This is always my favorite part of the cut flower and plant business: seeing the new and different coming to the market.  We are an industry that is always working off of what’s next and that includes what new varieties to be prepared for but also backup plans.

For example, we used to give a number of stems we wanted per week and we would get a chart back of when we would start getting the stems and how long it would take to get all the stems asked for per week.  Because we had a commitment with the grower and the breeder, we had back up plans if the item didn’t sell as well as we expected, we always had 2nd, 3rd and 4th options to use the stems in different ways until we found what worked in different areas of the country. 

I loved the way it all worked out each year. This kind of collaboration requires that connection from breeder to grower to buyer.   That is why The IFPA Breeder Showcase is so great for buyers and wholesalers.  You get to see what is coming and try to get it for your organization first to try to set your stores apart.   The next IFPA Breeder Showcase is coming to the IFPA Floral Conference in Miami February 24-26th and we hope you can enjoy the excitement of over 30 breeders and their WoW items.  It is so easy to see so many different breeders from so many different countries all in one place.  We will even point out the grower that is testing the item to try to fast-track it to your stores faster.  Sign up will be coming in October and we already have many retailers and some wholesalers that are interested in attending.  Come join us for a unique couple of days.

We’ve also shared with you the opportunity available through Sustainabloom. Here are some highlights of the approach below.

Sustainabloom: A Collaborative Approach to Floral Industry Sustainability 

Supermarket Floral Sustainability: Designed to support supermarkets in delivering high-quality, eco-friendly flowers.

Initiative Launch: Launched by the American Floral Endowment (AFE), the largest charitable organization focused on floral research and education.

Resources Provided: Offers actionable resources and up-to-date research for floral departments of any size.

Consumer Expectations: Helps supermarkets meet growing eco-conscious consumer expectations, enhancing customer loyalty and competitiveness.

Operational Benefits: Provides tools to reduce costs, cut waste, and streamline operations.

Environmental Impact: Guides to reduce plastic use, implement composting programs, and explore circular economy models.

Supermarket Initiatives: Helps supermarkets enhance supply chain transparency, reduce carbon footprints, and improve community engagement.

Expert Partnerships: Collaborates with experts from NC State University to translate complex data into practical strategies.

Staying Informed: Keeps supermarkets updated on the latest sustainability trends and consumer preferences.

Website Launch: Official website launched in April 2024 with regular updates and eight additional guides scheduled for release in 2024.

Explore Resources: Visit www.sustainabloom.org for a growing library of free resources to optimize sustainability practices.

Floral Update: September, the quiet before the Global Show

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