Flower Prices Up 20% Ahead Of Mother's Day Due To Shortage Caused By Pandemic
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Flowers are everywhere, yet hard to find at the same time. Prices are up 20 percent in some places. Along with weather, the pandemic has impacted supply during a time when farmers cut back on planting this year.
"They're taking advantage of that shift and we have to move with the shift," Tasha Flowers, a Baltimore florist, said. "There's not much we can do."
Growers had trouble finding spots to ship flowers when the pandemic started. This caused many to go out of business or led to shortages of workers, which means less flowers.
"The sad part about covid is that it took so many people away from us, " Flowers said, "so we had to step in more to help families make those final arrangements and make those flowers beautiful for their family members."
It also costs more to ship around the country. A recent CBS News report said shipping costs are up 10 to 15 percent in recent weeks.
"There's always transit of getting flowers from Ecuador or Holland to Baltimore," Flowers added. "That's not around the corner!"
Demand will be always be high pandemic or not, but Flowers said they'll grow as the business blooms.
"When we get those savings, we'll pass them on to you," she said, "but as the market continues to shift, we have to shift with it because it is a business that we're running."
A price we're all willing to take to make mom happy.
WJZ was told some companies may need to prepare customers for substitutes. Instead of red roses, you may get red carnations. The sooner you order, the better.
