Flower prices on the rise ahead of senior prom season
DAVIS — Senior prom on your horizon? Set aside a little extra green as it's not all rosy when it comes to labor costs at your favorite florist.
The price of a senior year staple is up.
It takes up to a half hour to make each one-of-a-kind wrist corsage and boutonniere, increasing labor costs — and then there's the sheer number of orders right now.
"We have administrative assistant day. Next week is prom and prep for Mother's Day and Mother's Day. We have big weddings going on," Dean Labadie said.
That all adds up to the busiest three weeks of the year for Strelitzia Flower Company, which Labadie owns. He said he's done what he could, but it was tough when the minimum wage went up.
"My payroll has jumped 50% in the last five years. Workmen's comp, vacation, sick pay — all of that added onto it," he said. "So it's been very difficult to try and keep that in line and not raise the prices."
Labadie said he's become more efficient by buying directly from growers, shipping in from South America, and even serving as the company's own broker.
"We found a way to add fairy lights into some so they light up at night," he said.
It's the little details that add up to a lot more green. Labadie paid $100,000 in overtime last year, putting a lot more pressure on his 38 staff members. This time of year, some work seven days a week to keep up. Manager Tish Martin said it's hard to even find workers.
"People aren't wanting to work as much, or it's hard to find people who have availability to stay all the long hours it takes," she said.
Strelitzia suggests teens take the time to order early so they can adjust staffing and save space to accommodate all those last-minute orders.
"We try to do all the prep work in advance, as much as possible," Martin said. "We prep all the bows. We make the little bases for the wrist corsages."
Strelitzia has even come up with a Prom Party at their Davis location on Cowell Boulevard on May 1 so teens can pre-order their corsages. It's a way to make sure they have the product and the people to put it all together, given the busy season.