Local florists are saying to order bouquets early, now that supply chain issues are affecting matters of the heart.
“Hard goods, vases, oasis and anything that is not perishable. It's hard to get. Everything is getting a little bit harder to get,” said Barkev Abadjian, owner of Albert’s Florist.
At the shop on Monterey St. in San Luis Obispo, supply chain delays affect their vendors, and the shop is shorthanded.
“There are lots of, unfortunately, extra expenses to get flowers this day that reflects maybe on our products, but we'll do our best possible way to get the best product for our customers,” Abadjian said.
Abadjian recommends ordering at least a week in advance.
“Red roses, of course, is always in demand for this thing and we are we have ample right was, I think, for whoever orders early,” he said.
At Albert’s Florist, they do offer contact-less delivery.
Abadjian says this is their forty-second year celebrating Valentine’s Day with the community.
People are also buying dried flowers.
Carla Wingett is the owner of Idlewild Florals on Archer St. in San Luis Obispo.
“I started out as a fresh flower wedding florist and I did weddings exclusively. So when COVID hit, I lost 100% of my business that year, and as a pivot, I started selling dried flower bouquets," Wingett said.
She says they have received about 50 pre-orders for Valentine’s Day so far.
“Most popular is are our bright pastel mixture to show you one," she explained. "This is one of our Valentine's bouquets. So it's just a mix of blush and purple flowers. Really soft romantic color combination color, candy, hearts, bouquet."
At Idlewild Floral, Wingett says they get a lot of last-minute orders.
“We're exclusively a dried and preserved flower florist, so we don't actually work with fresh flowers. So the supply chain disruptions haven't affected us as much,” said Wingett.
They are able to order their products months in advance and store it.
Wingett recommends ordering this week, especially if you are shipping across the country.
