Roses have their big day
With Valentine’s Day only a few days away, many St. Francois County residents have already picked up something special for their special someone.
Since Monday, hundreds of flowers, balloons and chocolate covered strawberries have been purchased at the Parkland Flower Girl Shop in Park Hills.
“There’s been quite a few orders for roses, mostly red and pink,” shop volunteer Betty Coale said. “On Monday, a girl came in and saw a big balloon in the shop window and asked us to hold it for her so she can pick it up on Valentine’s Day.”
Coale also said she expects to see a lot of people come in this weekend to finish their Valentine’s Day shopping.
“For the last two weeks, we’ve had people come in and place their orders to ensure that they arrive on time,” Coale said. “Since we will be open over the weekend and on Monday, I expect the majority of people to come in then.”
Valentine’s Day is the biggest day of the year for the flower industry.
According to an article on funflowerfacts.com, the price of red and pink roses nearly triples around Cupid’s holiday due to an extreme increase in supply and demand.
“We always sell more dozens of roses than anything on Valentine’s Day,” said Mary Jo Matthews, owner of Greene’s Florist in Desloge. “The flower market always doubles their prices of roses around Valentine’s Day, and people are still willing to pay for them.”
As Valentine’s Day quickly approaches, the National Retail Federation (NRF) expects consumers to spend more than $13 billion on the holiday this year, making Valentine’s Day the third most profitable day for retailers. Only Christmas and the back-to-school selling seasons create bigger revenues.
The NRF also expects the average person to spend about $116 on gifts for their loved one.
Aside from retailers, the restaurant industry also sees more sales on Valentine’s Day.
It is the second most profitable holiday — aside from Mother’s Day — and nearly 35 percent of Americans will dine out on Valentine’s Day.
“It’s one of our most popular days for people to come out and eat,” Farmington Applebees manager Erin Crides said. “I expect it to be busy over the weekend and on Monday.”
With Valentine’s Day just two days away, the pressure to buy a gift for loved ones can begin to sink in.
But, according to the New York Post, a sincere ‘I Love You’ is the most heart-felt gift someone can give on the holiday.
Brittney French is a reporter for the Daily Journal and can be reached at 573-431-2010, ext. 114, or at bfrench@dailyjournalonline.com
