15
May
2017
3
Why You Should Give Flower Food Generously

Why You Should Give Flower Food Generously

Most florists know that the more beautifully and vibrantly their flowers are displayed in store the better their chances of catching potential customers’ eyes and getting sales are.

But while it’s just as important that the flowers you sell stay healthy, beautiful and vibrant for as long as possible, it can be harder to recognise the benefits in customer satisfaction, loyalty and repeat sales.

Using flower food in the water of cut flowers will give your customers the perfect way to enhance the life and vibrancy of their floral bouquet. Buds are more likely to bloom, colours maintain their brightness for longer and it gives them longer vase life.

However, many florists choose not to provide their customers with any flower food when they make a purchase. These florists are undoubtedly missing out on great benefits they could see when being generous with flower food.

In this post we review what is in flower food and why you should always include it with any flowers purchased from your florist business.

What is in flower food?

Flower food sachets are mysterious little packets. They often don’t appear to change the colour or composition of the water at all, yet they noticeably improve you bouquet. So what is inside them?

Floralife® and Chrysal® are one of the most common flower food brands on the market. They have created food suitable for certain flowers and also general types for mixed bouquets. Although they have slight variations that make them more suitable for different uses, most products have similar core ingredients:

  1. Nutrients – often these are found as sugars that will help maintain the colour and strength of the flowers.
  2. Acid – this lowers the pH of the water. A common acid that is used is weak hydroxycarballylic acid (which is in a extremely tiny dose and not dangerous)
  3. Bleach – this is a biocide which will help diminish any bacteria and fungi created by the flowers and sugar in the water. It stops the water becoming thick and cloudy allowing the flowers to keep drinking.

What are the benefits of including flower food with your bouquets?

Without a doubt there are benefits to feeding cut flowers with flower food. We recently ran a test to show the positive effects of flower food on the life of a bouquet. Flower food added about 3 days more to the life of fresh flowers. To see how we did it and the results we achieved, check out our article “How to Make Cut Flowers Last Longer”.

Having longer-lasting flowers will primarily benefit the customer, as they will be able to see their bouquet flourish. This will create a high level of customer satisfaction with their flower purchase, and satisfaction with the florist or retailer they purchased them from.

Many customers don’t understand the full benefit of using flower food and what the best ways of keeping their flowers fresh for longer. So it is important to keep your customers informed about where to display their flowers, why they should replace the water and how products like flower food and leaf spray will improve the appearance of their floral arrangement.

A happy and loyal customer base is incredibly valuable for your business and can increase the number of repeat purchases and recommendations. This will build on your reputation of having the best quality fresh cut flowers always, a key to repeat business.

Flower food sachets can be bought in bulk and are not very expensive. In big boxes, each sachet can work out to costing a few cents. Depending on the types of flowers you specialise in, you can choose to purchase food specifically designed for certain flowers or food that can be used with any type of flower.

Being Generous with Flower Food Food Generously

When should you give flower food to customers?

Every time a customer buys a new bouquet of fresh flowers, you should include enough sachets of cut flower food to promote the life of the flowers as much as possible. This includes having enough to be able use flower food when they replace the water.

For more information about caring for flowers, see our post on “The Benefits of Proper Flower Care”.
You can also check out our “Flower Food FAQ” for more information about how to make the most out of flower food, and also more facts on some of the products mentioned in this post.

You may also like

corsage_blog_18_v2
School Formals 2023: Tips & Tricks For DIY Flower Corsages
flower food diy
DIY Flower Food to Keep Your Flowers Fresher For Longer
get_it_fresh_header
Our New GET IT FRESH™ S Wrap Has Arrived!
Support Your Local Florist - Koch & Co
5 Reasons To Support Your Local Florist

Leave a Reply