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Where to Buy Flowers
 deborah maestu
When you buy flowers you have choices: Retail Florists, Supermarkets, street vendors.
Retail Florists had a monopoly for decades. Supermarkets usurped that monopoly but the retail florist hasn't disappeared. When planning a wedding, funeral or large event, retail florists are where to buy flowers. Florists are or employ trained designers and will custom create arrangements with product sourced to order by specific color or variety. It's worth the extra money for event oriented purchases. Florists have more overhead and cost so you pay more.
Supermarkets started selling flowers in the last 25 – 30 years. Many employ trained designers. The freshness depends on the supply chain. Product is shipped from suppliers (many located in Miami or California) via truck to a supermarket warehouse, and then shipped to store locations as part of a store supply shipment. You are usually limited to product available from an approved supplier list. Designs have a more mass produced appearance. The advantage is lower cost resulting from low overhead and supply costs. Freshness depends on the supply chain and shipping method. The beauty factor depends on the training and experience.
Finally - street vendors ranging from established carts to the person with a bucket at popular intersections. Flowers are inexpensive and selection isn't plentiful. Vendors buy flowers by the box from wholesalers or importers for as little as five to twenty dollars per box as opposed to over one hundred per box. Products may have been in inventory over a week so freshness is iffy. Use a street vendor when you need last minute flowers. The advantage is cost. Street vendors may sell bunches for two to five dollars. They have no overhead and their investment is small. The disadvantage is the product is already old and has spent too much time out of coolers.
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