The sale of flowers for Valentine’s Day should not suffer too much from rising energy prices and inflation, the Royal Union of Florists of Belgium, URFB, told Belga News Agency on Monday.
Although it is still too early to establish a trend, URFB Director Koen Van Malderen expects good sales. Belgians are less frugal when it comes to giving a bouquet to a loved one, he says. Moreover, the fact that Valentine’s Day falls in the middle of the week traditionally generates slightly more sales.
On the other hand, the rise in energy prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has had an impact on flower production in Belgium. In particular, several greenhouses have been at a standstill in recent months. “But the drop in domestic production has been well compensated by imports from other countries, mostly from southern Europe,” says Van Malderen.
There will therefore be no shortage of flowers in shops, says the URFB director. That, he adds, should have a beneficial effect on prices.
This is particularly true for spring flowers such as tulips and ranunculus, for which Van Malderen expects “standard prices.” Red roses, on the other hand, will be more expensive because they are out of season.
The federation expects flower sales to rise from Friday.
