Flower vendors hope for a blossom in sales this Valentine’s Day

AMMAN — After two years of plummeting sales during the pandemic, flower vendors are hoping for a revival this Valentine’s Day.

Ahmad, a flower vendor in Amman who preferred to go only by his first name, said that last year’s sales were “okay”, yet still low.

“This year’s sales might improve a little bit, but we still won’t know for sure until tomorrow. All I can do now is to try to stand out in my work to attract buyers,” he added.

Ahmad also noted that the cost of flowers for traders has increased this year.

Mahmoud Al Kafaween, another florist in Amman, shares Ahmad’s concern.

“The prices of both local and imported red roses, which are the most in demand, have witnessed a rise,” he said, noting that imported flowers remain cheaper.

One local red rose costs traders JD1.5, while the imported flower costs between 70 to 80 piasters, according to Kafaween.

Kafaween, however still hopes for a better season. “It looks promising so far and I think it’s improving slowly year by year,” he told The Jordan Times.

In 2021 there was a notable increase in flower sales over the previous year because “the quarantine was lifted and last year’s Valentine’s was interrupted by the pandemic”, he noted.

Kafaween tries to improve his sales by posting and sponsoring his flowers and bouquets on Facebook and Instagram, and also offers discounts.

“We also display other gifts in the shop during Valentine’s, like teddy bears, perfumes, and accessories at wholesale prices just to get people to buy flowers,” he said. 

Yaqoub Al Kiswani, another flower vendor, noted that not all shops have recovered from the plummeting sales of the past two years. 

“Many flower vendors were left in debt,” he told The Jordan Times, also noting that buying flowers is not a priority these days. 

“Although I hope things get better, I believe people’s priorities have changed due to the economic situation after the pandemic,” he said.

Common flowers sold by vendors include tulips, lilies, and gypsophilas, either local or imported, mostly from Kenya and Holland, but red roses remain the most in demand during Valentine’s.

A local media source reported that traders in the Amman Flowers Bourse have imported roughly 450,000 red roses for this Valentine’s.

The price of a red rose ranges between JD2 to JD4, according to florists in Amman interviewed by The Jordan Times.