Florists Review Newsletter

January 2017  Is this email not displaying correctly? Try the web version. CONTEMPORARY VALENTINE HEART DESIGN Discover how to create a fun, modern heart-shaped rose arrangement for Valentine’s Day. Leanne Kesler, AIFD, PFCI, director of Portland, Oregon’s Floral Design Institute, demonstrates how to assemble this creation, which incorporates beautiful, romantic red ‘Piano’ garden roses. Click here to watch the five-minute how-to video. VALENTINE’S DAY CHECKLIST Now is the time to gear up for Valentine’s Day, which is only about three weeks away! Click here to check out Floranext’s step-by-step checklist that will make it easier for you to get and stay organized and increase your profits during this busy floral holiday. FLORISTS ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO A WEEKDAY VALENTINE’S DAY Valentine’s Day falls on a Tuesday this year, and many retail florists experience higher sales when Valentine’s Day falls on a weekday. We haven’t had a weekday Valentine’s Day since 2014, when the holiday fell on a Friday, and more than 90 percent of florists surveyed by the Society of American Florists (SAF) said they are expecting higher sales this year compared to Feb. 14 last year, which was on a Sunday. Click here to discover more interesting info from SAF’s recent survey. SHORTAGES OF LEATHERLEAF ARE LIKELY FOR VALENTINE’S DAY Some foliage growers in Central Florida are still reeling from a devastating hit last October from Hurricane Matthew. The aftermath of the storm could lead to shortages of leatherleaf on Valentine’s Day, with some estimates placing total crop loss at more than 50 percent and some growers seeing 100 percent losses. Click here to find out more about what to expect.  THE FIVE MOST POPULAR GARDEN ROSES OF 2016 The year 2016 has ended, and Parfum Flower Company, a specialty Dutch importer and wholesaler of fragrant garden roses, researched its website and social channels to find out what were the most popular garden roses of 2016 — the biggest sellers and those that were talked about the most. Click here to see Parfum Flower Company’s five most popular garden roses of 2016. 2017 FIELD TO VASE DINNER TOUR LOCATIONS ANNOUNCED The table is set, and you’re invited to an artisan dinner of a lifetime, where you’ll take your seat among the exquisite fields of America’s most stunning flower and foliage farms. The 2017 American Grown Field to Vase Dinner Tour is a cross-country series of elegant, intimate pop-up gatherings, located on seven flower and foliage farms from coast to coast. Seasonal, local and sustainable blooming flowers dazzle on white-linen tables elegantly dressed by top U.S. floral designers, and farm-to-table chefs prepare scrumptious meals. Click here to check out the 2017 locations, register to attend a dinner and see photos from previous events. HOLIDAY SALES INCREASED 4 PERCENT Holiday retail sales during November and December increased 4 percent over the same months in 2015, to $658.3 billion, as consumers spent more freely than expected, according to the National Retail Federation. Get more retail sales data here and compare it to how your store fared. DESPITE LIVING A DIGITAL LIFE, 98 PERCENT OF GENERATION Z STILL SHOP IN STORE Shocker! Despite expectations that the first “digitally native” generation would want to shop online, a new study released on Jan. 12 by IBM and the National Retail Federationfound that almost all members of Generation Z prefer to shop in bricks-and-mortar stores. Read more surprising results from the study here. NEW STUDY PROVIDES STRATEGIES TO GET MILLENNIALS TO BUY FLOWERS A new study by The Floral Marketing Research Fund (FMRF) provides a detailed analysis about the floral consumption behaviors of Generation Y (millennial) consumers. The study, titled "Marketing Tactics to Increase Millennial Floral Purchases" and sponsored by Asocolflores, explores innovative marketing strategies and tactics to better target millennials, who are key to the future of the floral industry. The study reveals ways to effectively attract millennials to floral products, as well as data on their attitudes, preferences and barriers to purchasing flowers.  Click here to read more about the study, or register for free here to download this, and other, free reports. JANE PACKER’S FLOWER COURSE Easy techniques for fabulous flower arranging  Jane Packer Flowers is one of London’s best-known florists, and Jane Packer Flower Schools in London, New York and Tokyo offer floral expertise and design creativity to all who attend. This book covers the same ground as the schools’ four-week Career Course, including Foundation Floristry and Foundation Bridal. The emphasis is on clarity and simplicity, so photos of finished arrangements are accompanied by step-by-step photos and easy-to-follow instructions. The book is divided into three sections — Flowers to Give, Flowers for the Home and Flowers for Celebrations — which provide all the know-how for creating party flowers, wreaths, garlands, table arrangements, wedding flowers and much more. Hardcover. 160 pages. JPF217 - $24.95 Click here to order or learn more about this must-have instructional guide. Copyright © 2017 WildFlower Media Inc. All rights reserved. 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Christina Burton-Fox AIFD floral artist & instructor