The operator of a floral shop in Grinnell says some people scaling back their Valentine’s Day purchases this year.
Stephanie Latimer says they’re trying to save a little money. “We’ve seen a little bit of a shift, not huge, but a little bit with the changes in our economy. A lot of people are choosing not to do the large one or two dozen red roses that we’re used to seeing every year for Valentine’s Day and they’re going to the smaller more compact things,” she says. She says they may buy some add-ons like balloons to go with the smaller flower bouquets.
Latimer is involved in the National Alliance of Florists Association and sees similar purchase trends in other states. “It seems to be the trend all over the U-S and not just here in the Midwest,” Latimer says. She says business will hit its peak today and tomorrow. “We have typically a store full of people and phones ringing off the hook, and if we don’t we’ve got order streaming in from our shoppable website. So I think probably everybody’s the same,” Latimer says. She says a lot of people likely shifted their focus to the need to get a Valentine’s Day gift after the football season ended Sunday.
(By Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City)