Gas prices hitting florists hard as Easter, Passover fast approach
With the national average for gas prices around $4, the timing is especially concerning for the floral industry amid the height of Easter and Passover preparations.
The trees are bare on Nicollet Avenue in south Minneapolis, but inside Miss Bertha's Floral, everything's in full bloom. But that also goes for prices at the pump, said owner Cara Dalton.
"We were offering free delivery to surrounding cities, but now with the price going up, it's just not likely that we can offer that anymore," Dalton said.
That means price changes for customers. Roses used to be $4 a stem, but now sell for $6.
And this is personal for Dalton. Her parents bought the shop from Miss Bertha in 1991 after immigrating from Cambodia. She inherited both the business and the passion.
"It just warms my heart just to know that I can make somebody's day by doing something so simple," she said. "It brings hope, joy and just unlocks memories for people, whether it's like a birthday, anniversary, funeral, flowers are always there."
But being in Minnesota has gotten tricky, according to University of St. Thomas economist Tyler Schipper.
"Certainly, my baseline is that we'll see gasoline prices continue to go up, even if the [U.S.-Israel war with Iran] ended today," Schipper said.
In the short term, Schipper says "florists with flowers flown in from Colombia" are likely to take the biggest hit to the bottom line.
He says Dalton's industry is being hit especially hard when you factor in tariffs and the overall economy.
"I get an average of like 10 orders a day, but sometimes I only get two or three, zero walk-ins or just one phone call," she said.
That's why she had to halt free delivery.
"If it's something I continue to offer, I don't know if my business will still be here in five years," she said.
But for now, Dalton is thankful for her loyal customers. She's determined not to wilt, and to keep brightening peoples' days.