Move over, Easter. Mother’s Day is upon us! And in today’s saturated market, it’s not too early to promote your Mother’s Day offerings to ensure consumers are thinking of your business when they’re thinking of Mom.

“Marketing has become much more of a factor as our competitors are no longer just traditional floral businesses with storefronts,” says Amy Auwaerter, marketing manager of Bayport Flower Houses in Bayport, New York, who added order gatherers and websites that mimic flower shops to her list of competitors.

And there’s plenty of money to compete for. February retail sales were up 1.06% from January, and 6.3% since February 2023, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor, a monthly tracker that uses real-time debit and credit card purchase data to provide timely insights into retail sales activity across the U.S.

But it’s where that money is being spent that can help florists. Data from the U.S. Department of Commerce and Wells Fargo Economics shows a spike in discretionary spending — especially in recreational goods and services — or in other words, experiences.

“That’s what’s competing for the spending on flowers,” SAF Chief Economist Charlie Hall, Ph.D., said during the Society of American Florists’ March Ultimate Roundtable. “It’s not that people don’t have the willingness to spend. And it’s not that they are spending more money on non-discretionary items. They’re spending more money on discretionary items.

Hall’s advice? Focus on what differentiates your business from the competition — and use marketing to make sure consumers know about it.

“It is all about the value proposition right now,” Hall said.

Savvy florists shared how they are amping up their marketing and offering products and services that set them apart — and tap into the “experience economy.”

Offer Experiences

Jacques Flower Shop in the Greater Manchester area of New Hampshire is promoting floral design workshops to target consumers seeking experience gifts this Mother’s Day. As an added bonus, the workshops are led by mother-daughter duo Nancy and Aimee Godbout. Gift givers looking to create an extra-special experience can buy two workshop tickets so moms and their children can learn together under the tutelage of the Godbout mother-daughter team.

Promote Subscriptions

In addition to experiences, Jacques Flower Shop is promoting bouquet subscriptions. It’s a gift that keeps on giving as frequently as the consumer desires, be it weekly, monthly, or every few months. Aimee Godbout says subscriptions ensure mothers don’t just feel appreciated on Mother’s Day.

“Her gift will last well beyond the day, well beyond the week that her flowers last,” Godbout says. “She’ll get a reminder of you every month.”

Create Mother’s Day Gift Packages

Lori Wilson, PFCI, of Flower Clique, encourages florists to go beyond flowers and generate increased sales with higher overall price points by promoting package deals that combine flowers with extras like chocolates, scented candles, or personalized cards.

If your flower shop gets a lot of walk-in traffic, be sure to showcase these bundles in your store. When customers see everything together, they’re more likely to buy the whole package, Wilson says. Florists also should promote these package deals on their websites and social media pages. Online shoppers will appreciate being able to get everything for Mom with one click.

Collaborate With Local Businesses

To reach a wider audience, Wilson also suggests florists collaborate with local businesses to create Mother’s Day packages. A Flower Clique member in upstate New York previously had success by partnering with a local Italian restaurant. A customer could make reservations at the restaurant for Mother’s Day lunch, and flowers and a small gift would be at the table when the guests arrived.

Another collaboration between a flower shop in Indiana and a local spa boutique and coffee shop offered their customers a beautiful bouquet along with gift cards for the spa and coffee shop. All three businesses cross-promoted the collaboration on their social media platforms, which helped all of them reach new customers.

Laurie Herrera is a contributing writer for the Society of American Florists.