A Thursday holiday and a strong economy bode well for a successful Valentine’s Day this year — but some long-standing and new challenges, including the partial government shutdown, are worth paying attention to, as florists nationwide gear up for the holiday.

That’s according to Society of American Florists volunteer leaders and industry members that EBrief editors reached out to this week, to help get a lay of the land (and the sea and the ports of entry) in advance of Valentine’s Day.

One challenge that is new this year: the ongoing partial shutdown of the federal government.

Thirteen inspectors scheduled to arrive in Miami this week to assist with flower inspections for Valentine’s Day have been delayed by that shutdown. The team was intended to supplement 75 Customs and Border Patrol agents on-site year-round in Miami — the latter group will continue to work through the shutdown, said Christine Boldt, executive vice president of the Association of Floral Importers of Florida.

“AFIF has worked closely with the government over the past few years to ensure we have additional inspectors for higher volume holidays, including Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day,” Boldt explained. “When I met with the government in December, they had already secured funding for the additional people during the four weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day. Unfortunately, the shutdown means that, for now, the government no longer has the funding for those additional 13 inspectors; however, the 75 employees who are here have told us they are committed to working whatever hours necessary to keep the shutdown from affecting the floral industry and Valentine’s Day.”

The temporary inspectors had been scheduled to arrive on Monday, Jan. 14.

Customs supervisors in Miami have been able to bring in a few additional inspectors from nearby ports, including Ft. Lauderdale. Federal regulations prohibit private industry from paying for additional inspectors.

Because U.S. Department of Agriculture employees in Miami are working, Boldt says there should be no holdups related to pest identification or fumigation.

“I think the main thing I’d like to communicate to the industry is that the inspections are happening and will continue to happen,” Boldt said. “The employees here are committed to doing their jobs and, through AFIF, the industry has representation in Miami every day with the airport and government agencies.”

Miami is the country’s major port of entry for cut flowers, processing 90 percent of the cut flowers that come into the U.S.

EBrief editors also reached out this week to other industry members to get a sense for issues that should be on florists’ radars leading up to the holiday. Among the highlights:

Weather is (always) a wildcard.  “The largest factor that affects this particular holiday is weather,” said Wholesalers Council member David Armellini of Armellini Express Lines in Palm City, Florida. “Weather can mess with production in South America and California…The weather can also have a major impact on the trucking industry with snow. We will not be able to predict this factor until we are in the rush.” Robin van der Schaaf of Flamingo Holland Inc. in Vista, California, and a member of SAF’s Growers Council, noted that weather in southern California has been “darker” recently, with more rain than usual and colder temperatures the first week of January, with some frost inland.” I would recommend reaching out in early stages with your suppliers/ growers to get numbers lined up in time,” he said. “The weather might push some production to later dates.”

Air cargo space, truck driver shortage still prove challenging. Some long-standing industry challenges remain in play for the holiday, including reduced cargo space, owing in part to more competition from other industries and fewer flights, and a nationwide shortage of truck drivers. “The other big logistical issues are availability of planes and trucks,” Armellini said. “At present, we don’t feel that there will be any drastic delays because the airlines have put in their surcharge, which pays them to fly the plane back empty on occasions in order to expedite the volume of flowers.”

Florida foliage makes a comeback. After being battered by major hurricanes in recent years, growers with FernTrust Inc., a co-op of farms in Seville, Florida, are feeling optimistic. “We are in full swing for Valentine’s Day prepping and are very excited about the quality of foliages available from Florida this year,” said Jana Register, the company’s director of sales and marketing. “After the last two years of post-hurricane shortages and worrying where every stem of leather leaf and other greens would come from, we are so thankful to see crops lush and ready to wow.”

Advanced planning is key. A number of people noted that, with any major holiday, advanced prep goes a long way toward helping florists source the product they need for a successful holiday. “Plan ahead and be flexible,” said Wholesalers Council member Scott Isensee of Frank Adams Wholesale Florist in Portland, a sentiment that van der Schaaf echoed: “Communicate with your supplier on what your needs will be coming this holiday,” he said. “Valentine’s Day is hard to hit from a production standpoint, so I would advise to line up your numbers early.”

Finally, among early findings of SAF’s recent survey on Valentine’s Day expectations, nearly 46 percent of the retailer respondents predicted increased sales this year, compared to 2018, when the holiday fell on a Wednesday.

Look for more extensive coverage of that survey, along with December sales returns, in future issues of SAF’s Wednesday EBrief and Floral Management magazine.

 

Mary Westbrook is the editor in chief of Floral Management.