The Rush For Roses: Navigating Supply And Demand Issues While Shopping For Valentine's Day
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- With the countdown on, if you haven't bought flowers yet for Valentine's Day, florists are warning of a flower shortage this year.
As the Monday deadline looms, shoppers need to understand what the florists are up against.
Tim Ludwig from Blumengarten's Florist in the Strip District says florists have been dealing with shortages for a while, but this time, it's different.
"Valentine's Day gets a little more crunched because the demand just spikes," Ludwig said.
While shopping, Ludwig says you can expect for things that are the most in demand right now to be in short supply, like red roses, and anything red, pink, or other Valentine's colors.
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The increased desire for items like this has forced florists to brace for the collision of supply and demand.
"We've planned ahead so we have hundreds of roses, but kind of, when those are are gone, we probably can't get anymore," Ludwig said.
Ordering early is a pivotal thing shoppers can do. For example, if a florist has 1,200 red roses to sell, they will go to the first 100 customers who place an order, and the 101st customer will be out of luck.
Ludwig says there's no reason to wait until Monday, adding that you can send your gifts on Thursday or Friday ahead of the holiday.
When it comes to ordering flowers for people who are out of state, Ludwig suggests finding a florist near the person you're sending them to, as using a third party seller could result in substitutions you don't want.