WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Months of planning and weeks of preparation come to a head at many local businesses this week as preparations are under way for a Valentine’s Day with heavier than normal predicted activity.
Warmer weather combined with a workweek Valentine’s Day, Thursday, this year has many in the industry planning long days.
Dana and Jeff Cook, owners of Wilmington’s Julia’s Florist say that this year looks rosy.
“In years past we have battled blizzards and ice storms so this year’s weather forecast was a joy to follow” Jeff Cook said. “With a Thursday Valentine’s Day you have many customers eager to display their flowers on work desks and many others taking advantage of early delivery on Wednesday or taking advantage of our free delivery for Valentines orders with Monday and Tuesday delivery. At Julia’s we are fortunate to have the volume of business allowing us to receive flowers direct from growers and delivered bi-weekly. But the next few scheduled deliveries will be many times our normal size.”
Valentine’s Day for florists starts well in advance of the 14 and Jeff said he particularly enjoys following along as the flowers move from big rig trucks to his coolers and then from grower boxes to processing (chopping, separating, dipping) to fresh buckets of water and then to designers before going back to the coolers and to routers and delivery drivers.
“Just the whole operation is a fascinating phenomenon that never gets old,” Cook said. “Of course the simple act of giving flowers is something many learn at a young age to never take for granted and owning a flower shop has certainly reinforced that feeling.” Also, “I never get tired of delivering the flowers and noting the expressions on the faces of the recipients. Flowers really do make a unique and beautiful statement.”
In the upcoming days, Julia’s will add seasonal help, rental delivery vehicles to their fleet and rented refrigerated storage trucks.
“Everyone in our extended family realize it is all hands on deck time and the team work really makes it a fun time instead of the stress creator many could assume,” he said.
When asked for tips to give to any customers for Valentine’s Day he said he always goes back to his “pre-ownership” years and realizes the importance of the Keeping It Simple method for customer ordering and the quality control that is crucial to success.
“We respect our customer’s keeping it local and ordering directly from our store or calling in, or of course our website,” Cook said. “Ordering locally is not only a smart tactic but something that we think about every day of the year, not just for our industry.”
A final tip he offers is to get your order in early.
“Every year we have to cut off deliveries and we hate to do it, but we are always careful to guarantee not only our flowers but our deliveries and the entire process.”
When that moment of halting deliveries occurs, the walk-in business at the store will explode and he has learned to prepare for the procrastinators as well.