Adding value with roses?

[BOSS]

I'm of the belief that I can add roses into a mixed vase adding perceived value at a cost less than what a rose would normally sell for either singly or in a dozen.

Normal rose mark up is about 550%, but if I use standard mark up of 3X I can use roses at almost 50% less in a mixed vase, basically anything over $45.00 adding much more in perceived value to the customer.

Thoughts?

 

[ivygreen]

It does add to the perceived value and I find most customers would rather have the roses added than additional amounts of filler or lesser flowers.
Also a smaller sized vase with a few roses and less actual value sells over a larger mixed vase with no roses sells out of the cooler faster and more often.

I would think with the high quality roses you are using it would be the same or better for you.

 

[steve]

We do the same here and often when we are on the auction and realize we might be able to buy a particular rose for well below the normal going rate we will use some of those roses in mixed arrangements to add the perceived value as well as run a special on that rose.

 

[ladyinc]

We put roses in our mixed arrangements all the time...almost daily. You are right about the perceived value...I think the recipient somehow feels more special if there are roses in the arrangement...they are timeless.

 

[lori042499]

Roses are the single most well know flower of all time, it is our vanilla icecream....most people identify roses as an expensive flower so it does up the percieved value, I know that in a funeral basket I would rather use 5 mature roses than 5 larkspur and I pay the same price for them both, many people see larkspur as a weed and roses as a flower...I also use roses in mixed arrangements at 2.50-3 dollars...

 

[master J]

Roses can be bought so cheap during non holiday weeks, sometimes as low as 20-30c each if you buy a box of 200 or more. Thats less than the cost of carnations! Yes! We use a lot of roses in all of our designs

 

[dlnfloral]

Here too. Use roses alot in mixed arrangements. We sell mixed flowers and tell customers we can add in roses to make it more "special" for them.
They bite everytime.

I love doing all rose weddings because you really make some $$$!!

 

[HeatherTuckey]

I'm of the belief that I can add roses into a mixed vase adding perceived value at a cost less than what a rose would normally sell for either singly or in a dozen.

Normal rose mark up is about 550%, but if I use standard mark up of 3X I can use roses at almost 50% less in a mixed vase, basically anything over $45.00 adding much more in perceived value to the customer.

Thoughts?

I agree, although I find it is hard to teach this to a designer, and make the designers aware that the the stock needs to last for most of the week... for future orders we do not yet have. For example, if we get in 75 of each popular color on a Mon (pink, white, yellow, lav, peach/orange) and we get a deal on 300 asst roses. I don't think it's that tough... just leave yourself 50 or so of each color so that you can last as long as possible without needing to reorder. So if we get a run on yellow... stop using yellow in the backstock arr's for the $2 price. It rarely seems to work that way tho... so then I later have to buy more yellow at a higher price... b/c they used them and even calculated them at a lower ($2) price. Only my design manager seems to "get it" and grabs the weird bicolors first in backstock vase work. I'm always telling them in mixed vases... to use the colors that we're not likely going to get orders for, so I don't need to pay a premium even if I buy light and then we get slammed with orders.... we were still able to stretch the flowers to get the orders filled.

 

[Joe Mioux]

yea, except i am doing it with mini callas next week.

got some coming in at .27 per stem.

 

[Joe Mioux]

correction, NOW im going to do it with Dolce Vita roses. cost .04 per stem

 

[BOSS]

Heather I understand your theory, but we get roses in every day, and often cheaper than SO pricing, so it would seem to me I'd be further ahead to use more?

 

[OB1]

Wow.
I wish I could get quality roses at those prices. If I really watch, and shop around for a long time, I occasionally see roses for less than 70 cents. But usually these are 40cm or less, and more often than not they are varieties that do not hold up well, so I do not want to put my guarantee on them. And what? .04 per stem?!? What world do I live in that is so different than yours?!?

 

[Kristine]

Wow.
I wish I could get quality roses at those prices. If I really watch, and shop around for a long time, I occasionally see roses for less than 70 cents. But usually these are 40cm or less, and more often than not they are varieties that do not hold up well, so I do not want to put my guarantee on them. And what? .04 per stem?!? What world do I live in that is so different than yours?!?

i'm guessing Joe is getting them via flowerbuyer.com

 

[steve]

I would guess flower buyer is the source also as we have from time to time gotten roses there for that kind of price and at that price you have to buy them as you have to sell very few to get your money back.

 

[marie g bushnell]

Master J, where do you buy roses for .20 to .30 at non holidays? Are they of good quality (actually open up)? I have purchased them for around .47 and they were beautiful.

 

[CHR]

Only my design manager seems to "get it" and grabs the weird bicolors first in backstock vase work. I'm always telling them in mixed vases... to use the colors that we're not likely going to get orders for, so I don't need to pay a premium even if I buy light and then we get slammed with orders.... we were still able to stretch the flowers to get the orders filled.

Amen! I feel your pain. We have SOs for the components of popular items and it just escapes me why designers go to those same flowers for open orders and back stock instead of rotating out the unusual or undersold colors.

There really has to be product management at the bench level or else, like you, we're paying higher prices to fill late week orders.

 

[master J]

Master J, where do you buy roses for .20 to .30 at non holidays? Are they of good quality (actually open up)? I have purchased them for around .47 and they were beautiful.

Right now you can pre-book 50 cm assorted roses from DV for next Monday delivery at 32c to 39 c depending on how many units you buy from DV. The quality is good, not great, but good enough, yes they open up nice too. Every week , the growers change, so, it's possible to get a bad grower every now and then, but for the most part the rose quality is decent. . Not as good as Eufloria of course, but for 32c, you can make good money, and compete with the grocery stores, and offer your budget customers a special price.