Angelenos brace for sky-high flower prices this Mother's Day
Shoppers in the market for flowers may get some sticker shock this Mother's Day weekend.
Prices Friday at the famous California Flower Mall in downtown Los Angeles were significantly higher than usual, as inflation, higher transportation costs and supply chain issues have taken their toll.
"What used to cost me $20 can sometimes cost me $42 now," said Robin Snyder, owner of Mulberry Row in Sherman Oaks. "Used to be you never had to worry about a vase. Now, it's like, 'OK, I can't get that vase, how can I substitute that?'"
Many fields did not grow as many flowers during the pandemic, which lead to a trickle-down effect.
"Everything costs more money: fuel costs more money, labor costs more money, supply chain has been disrupted, so it is more costly to get products here in the market, to get to the end user, our moms who need to be celebrated," said Mark Chatoff with the California Flower Mall. "But we're here, and you can save money here on site."
Chatoff noted that buyers can look to save money by creating arrangements with cheaper flowers such as hydrangeas, sunflowers and lilacs.
"Obviously, they're very expensive right now, but it is what it is, and just try and pick the best ones that you can," shopper Dulce Jimenez told CBSLA. "It's pricey, but it's worth it."
This Friday is the biggest day of the year for florists in Los Angeles due to both Mother's Day on Sunday and Mexican Mother's Day on Tuesday.
The Flower Mall is made up of 30 local and family owned flower businesses which sell wholesale to florists across the Southland. It is open all weekend.