Pack and send flowers

Whether in the garden or at home, people simply like to surround themselves with blooming nature. This was also shown by the sales figures during the pandemic. Admittedly, according to the needs pyramid, buying flowers is not the first impulse in uncertain times. No travel, stay-at-home and challenging everyday life, however, obviously contributed to our desire to make things nice at home. So the question was not WHETHER flowers had to go, but much more: HOW to get flowers into the house: The big hour for online senders.

Roses, tulips, carnations:

We Germans and our relationship with flowers

To say something through the flower, to let flowers speak or to say something quite bluntly: The topic of flowers occupies us. We give a bouquet of flowers for birthdays, anniversaries, bring a bouquet to an invitation and give the colourful bouquet as a get-well wish, a declaration of love, an apology, as a sign of appreciation, for Father’s Day or Mother’s Day or a wedding anniversary.
Here, a very special secret language applies: each plant has a special meaning. Whereas with carnations, for example, you can be dangerously wrong (red carnations stand for love, yellow carnations, on the other hand, for contempt!?), the sunflower seems innocuous: it stands for joie de vivre and cheerfulness With the rose, it’s not only the colour that’s decisive (classic red is never wrong…), but also the number.

Did you know…
According to a net finding, people present flowers with their left hand to show that they come from the heart.

The short 1×1 of the rose – or the meaning of the gift.

While pink roses symbolise the beginning, the desire and the magic of youth, 1 red rose stands for love at first sight, 5 red roses for “You are perfect” and 24 red roses for “I am all yours”. Be careful with yellow roses: If they are given as a gift in a relationship, they stand for problems (!), whereas they mean fun and gratitude within a friendship. So before giving a bouquet of flowers, it’s obviously worth doing some good research on what they mean….

Flower bouquet, bedding and balcony plants, bush and tree

Cut flowers account for 35% of the total market for flowers and plants. But we also like it green in our gardens and on balconies and windowsills: balcony and bedding plants (20%), fruit and ornamental shrubs (15%) and flowering houseplants (11%) also account for a large share “in the big bloom”. To ensure that the garden also makes a good impression in the eyes of the neighbour, we spend 15.4 billion euros a year – that’s how much Germans (private gardens, balconies and other outdoor areas) spend on plants, furniture, gardening tools or electrical appliances such as the barbecue. Gardening is absolutely in vogue, and this is also welcomed by environmentalists. For while more and more land is falling victim to the construction of housing estates and traffic areas, and areas used (sometimes intensively) for agriculture often do rather poorly in terms of biodiversity and habitat, the private garden does great things here. As long as it is not the rock garden or the meticulously tended lawn, Germany’s gardens are teeming with life.

What is a flower?

Wikipedia takes the usual matter-of-fact view: “A flower is the pollination-biological unit of flowering plants. … A flower is defined as a shoot of limited growth in the service of sexual reproduction. Its structure is clearly divided into perianth, stamens and carpels.”
… Well. That’s probably not directly wrong. But it is only a fraction of the truth. A flower is much more than that. Flowers are affection, love, compassion. Flowers are jewellery, expression and style.

And above all, flowers are one thing: a very, very big market!

Sales of plants increased by almost 10 percent to 10.3 billion in Germany alone in 2021. (statista) Who earns from the business with flowers? And where do the flowers sold in Germany actually come from?

Where do Germans get their roses and tulips?

A good 80% of all cut flowers sold in Germany are imported. The largest share in absolute terms comes from the Netherlands, but also from Colombia, Kenya, Ecuador, Zimbabwe, Spain, Israel or Thailand. Not always under the best conditions. One thing is clear: the cheap bouquet at the petrol station or from the supermarket probably has a different story than the Fairtrade certified bouquet from the specialised trade.

With a turnover of 5.6 billion euros in 2021, market leader Royal FloraHolland is absolutely unassailable in first place. At the same time, digital marketplaces for purchasing are also becoming increasingly important for German florists. More than 4,000 growers and buyers in over 45 countries use the online shop Floriday as a trading platform every week.

Next to it, even the international marketplace Veiling Rhein-Maas seems rather contemplative. Yet here, too, 387 million euros (2020) are turned over each year.

From Fleurop Monopoly to Multiplayer Market

Purchasing is going digital. So is selling to the end customer!

Even in the years before Corona, there was significant growth in the online florist sector. More and more florists are entering the market. From subscriptions to one-off bouquets, the range is large.

In Germany, flower shops, nurseries and garden centres were also affected by the week-long lockdown. While supermarkets, DIY stores and petrol stations continued to sell plants and flowers, local traders were not able to sell in their shops. So new distribution channels were opened up here. Click-and-collect or live shopping via video call are two possibilities with the help of which flowers or bouquets can also be put together online. One advantage of this type of order processing is that the goods can be prepared in the best possible way. Wrapped in paper, foil or tissue paper, the bouquet is then ready for collection. Even better: special flower paper, a flower bag, carrier bags for flowers or plant boxes can be useful so that the goods can then be handed over to the buyer safe and sound and fresh.

If you pack like this, the flowers will also last a little longer:

The special flower packaging for florists and retailers is not only ideal for storage, but also for easy transport. Because even after collection from the shop, the bouquet is, for example, completely and totally protected with the cone-shaped bouquet packaging and can be carried home comfortably thanks to the handles. To ensure that the bouquet does not get “dry feet”, a water bag can be integrated into the packaging – and thanks to the waterproof coating, the water also stays where it is needed.

Do you want to send the lovely greetings?

A little less handy, but perfect for sending flowers, are flower boxes. This is because more and more flowers are also being packaged and sent: 27% of all respondents to a survey in Germany, France, Great Britain and the Netherlands (AMI, bevh, Flower Council Holland) have had colourful bouquets of flowers or plants delivered to their homes since the beginning of the pandemic and have ordered and purchased them online for the first time. In addition to the selection and quality of the flowers, the delivery conditions and services for sending flowers are immensely important for a satisfactory customer experience. Same-day delivery, delivery on the desired date or anonymous flower delivery, for example, are relevant for customers in addition to the payment options.

The special challenge in flower delivery:

Timing and packaging! Most bouquets ordered online arrive within 4 days of the order. The bouquet should already be in bloom (at least delicately) when it is unpacked, but should then only unfold its full bloom on site – and preferably keep it for the next 10 days. No easy task for the supplier. When sending the bouquet, it is just as tricky as it is crucial to pack it correctly. The test showed that there were big differences here.

Good packaging for sending flowers must be easy to handle, both when storing and filling for the sender and when opening for the recipient, so that the bouquet is not damaged, for example by pressure, either when packing or unpacking. A good flower box therefore offers a large opening, but at the same time a kind of inlay made of cardboard or a special shape that holds the bouquet together and fixes it in place. The colourful surprise is therefore not so much placed in the packaging as in the box.

In between, the dispatch makes further demands

The flower packaging should be stable and yet not heavy, it must offer the bouquet the best possible support and, thanks to integrated wedging or anchoring, for example, take into account the special shape of a bouquet. During flower delivery, the bouquet should be continuously supplied with fresh air and water without the packaging becoming damp on the outside as well. Cool idea for online senders:

Use the leak-proof vase to send 7-10 roses or tulips or a bouquet of up to 14 other cut flowers to your loved ones. This way, the most beautiful flowers are not only well taken care of during shipping, but can also be placed directly on the table in the vase on site. Joy – packed with the freshness guarantee – it can be so easy to give a small gift to loved ones 🙂

The little 1×1 of flower wrapping

Bought in the shop and presented to loved ones personally “from the palm of your hand”?

Then there is not too much for you to consider. When choosing flowers, be aware that even the most beautiful ones may convey the “wrong message” – see also The Short 1×1 of the Rose – or the meaning of the gift. In most cases, the colourful greetings are presented on the same day. Wrap them in a damp cloth or paper to ensure that the flower arrangement arrives fresh and in top quality. If the bouquet is to be presented on the following day, it must be “stored” in a vase. In both cases, the following applies: The bouquet is adequately protected against direct sunlight and light blows with tissue paper, which also enhances the bouquet’s appearance. Of course, special flower paper or foil will also work, both of which keep the moisture inside the packaging and thus on the bouquet. Keep the bouquet as cool and shady as possible – and upside down. This relieves the pressure on the flowers and provides them with additional water. Laying the bouquet is of course also possible – just proceed carefully or use the complete solution in the form of the bouquet cone packaging…

Remove paper? Or leave it on?

Do you actually take the wrapping paper off before handing it over? The most common answer is to remove the paper, but leave the foil. In the end, it’s up to you. Some tissue paper or floral paper looks so beautiful that it could easily pass for gift wrapping – and you usually leave it on.

Selected online and sent as a small gift for a birthday, Valentine’s Day or as a token of love?

Many online shops offer, in addition to the choice of flower arrangements, gift packaging and greeting card to choose from. For the water supply and the necessary freshness, the damp cloth or paper around the stems is a possible, but not the best option. After all, bouquets of roses and the like may be on the move for several days. To ensure that everything arrives fresh, a kind of water reservoir is also packed. Many online players still rely on cooperation with local florists, do their own deliveries or use local courier services. The time span from compilation to delivery is thus more predictable and is usually on the same day.

Selected online and sent as a small gift for a birthday, Valentine’s Day or as a token of love?

Many online shops offer, in addition to the choice of flower arrangements, gift wrapping and greeting cards to choose from. For the water supply and the necessary freshness, the damp cloth or paper around the stems is a possible, but not the best option. After all, bouquets of roses and the like may be on the move for several days. To ensure that everything arrives fresh, a kind of water reservoir is also packed. Many online players still rely on cooperation with local florists, do their own deliveries or use local courier services. The time span from compilation to delivery is thus more predictable and is usually on the same day.

Flowers at Christmas too?

Absolutely! When you think of flowers, summer, sun and spring come to mind? Sure, for both retail and online trade with flowers and plants, spring with Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day is the time with the highest turnover. Spring is booming and “flowers” 🙂

But autumn and especially the pre-Christmas season is also flower time! High season for poinsettia, Christmas rose, amaryllis or orchid – but of course also mistletoe or the Advent wreath in various designs goes over the counter in these weeks.

Christmas flowers and winter bouquets can also be ordered and sent online. Whether the flower greeting reaches the recipient safely and freshly depends to a large extent on the transport or shipping packaging for flowers.

And this is how popular flowers are at Christmas:

European consumers can’t do without botanical Christmas decorations. In 2021, 72% of consumers surveyed by the market research agency Motivaction said they had bought a Christmas product such as Christmas flowers, plants or a tree. 81% of the so-called Aesthetic Explorers said that Christmas and flowers are a good combination – with slight national differences. In France, for example, the classic bouquet is most popular, in the Netherlands the flower arrangement.

Thanks to the increased demand: In the field of postal delivery, products have been steadily improved. In the meantime, florists and online shops can draw on a wide range of ideas. With the right packaging, the colourful messengers of freshness arrive at your loved ones in absolute top form, even when sent by post.
Here you will find some of them: