Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and my type A self is all about working ahead. The goal: maximize profit while minimizing stress through smart planning, ordering, and prep work. Every year we create a limited menu for our holiday shoppers, keeping three main things top of mind: variety, flexibility, and efficiency.

Variety

For variety I am focusing on two things - first and foremost of course are the flowers. I order proven varieties that we know and love in our shop - and I make sure to get a mix of cost effective and higher end blooms. We use that same mentality when creating design recipes; whether it’s mixing everyday flowers with tropicals, or long-lasting blooms with short-lived blooms and dried elements…. Think ahead to how the bouquet will be enjoyed by the recipient, and how your design components can extend the value.

Product Used: OASIS® 5" Grand Cylinder Vase

Variety can also apply to the designs themselves - we offer a limited menu of 8-10 designs but are sure to include some low and lush, some tall and showy, some more garden styled and some more modern or unique bouquets. We review previous years' best-selling price points, add 10%, and ensure that while we offer a range for various budgets, the majority of our designs sit at or above our target price point.

Flexibility

My second key word is flexibility. If you’re ordering in a flower, be sure you’ve got an intentional use for it at least 2 ways. If I have one recipe that features lavender roses, I better make dang sure I’ve got a 2nd recipe that includes them or have a plan to stock my retail cooler with lavender rose grab-and-gos. You can design the same flower or color in different ways to offer your customers a good mix of options without going crazy on your bunch count.

Color flexibility is important too. We generally choose a palette for the holiday and make sure that all our designs have interchangeable components that work within that palette - that way if I have to make substitutions or a super speedy designer’s choice bouquet, I know my color palette is going to work out. I like to incorporate at least one monochromatic design in my offerings because those are incredibly easy to mass produce and make subs in. Some flowers I get in specifically because of their flexibility - coral roses can lean pink or peach depending on what they are paired with, and an orchid colored carnation looks at home with pink and purple blooms. A peach Linette disbud mum can be a sub for a gerbera daisy and can easily be tinted coral, pink or even a pretty lavender. Plus these “non-traditional” colored flowers can sometimes be more cost effective than the “traditional” Valentine’s colored stems.

Product Used: OASIS® Paragon Vase

Product Used: OASIS® Adorn Hurricane Vase

Efficiency

Last but not least, let’s talk efficiency. Efficient designs are those that my team can produce quickly - whether it’s with a work ahead component like an armature or greenery base, or a style that can be done fast on the fly. We generally assign 1-3 designs that use similar flowers, containers or colors to each designer. The flowers they need get processed into grouped buckets, and the vases they need live at their station. They can pull their buckets out of the cooler and park them at their station, and they quickly get very good at creating their assigned designs without taking extra steps.

Efficient designs are also easy for my drivers to deliver. I choose vases that I know are “single hand carry” containers or easily fit in our delivery system, and make sure our creations aren’t going to shift or be too fussy if we have to cold weather bag them.

Product Used: OASIS® Adorn Hurricane Vase

Working ahead on Valentine's Day isn't just about getting things done early, it's about setting yourself and your team up for a profitable, smooth holiday. When you plan your variety, build in flexibility, and design for efficiency leading up to the big day, you'll spend Valentine's week confidently fulfilling orders instead of scrambling to figure out substitutions or reinvent the wheel.

Start your planning today: review last year's numbers, map out your color palette, and create those design recipes with intention. Your future self (and your team!) will thank you when February 14th rolls around. 

Ready to get organized? Download our Valentine's Day Planning Checklist below to make sure you've covered all your bases. Here's to your most profitable and stress-free Valentine's Day yet!