Petal Power! Local Florists Come Into Bloom For 2022 Celebrations
For florists across Windsor and Essex County, the busiest time of their year has arrived with customers making plans for special Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day bouquets, gifts and flowers arrangements.
It’s also expected that once pandemic restrictions are eased, more weddings will take place, especially those postponed over the past two years.
Last year, it was estimated by the U.S. based National Retail Federation that Americans spent more than $21 billion on Mother’s Day gifts, the vast bulk of it spent on flowers and gift baskets.
By comparison, Canadians spent roughly $490 million on Mother’s Day, according to a survey conducted by IPG Mediabrands.
Both estimates were much higher than indicated by similar surveys over the past few years, largely because of pandemic restrictions, which resulted in people sending flowers and gift baskets to their friends and family because, in many instances, they were unable to visit in person.
Many local florists are also reporting an uptick in wedding business as many ceremonies were postponed since March 2020 due to pandemic restrictions. But, with venues hoping to be fully open again this summer, business is building again.
What follows is a quick review of what a select sample of Windsor and Essex County florists are experiencing as they head into their busy season.
Rainbow Flowers & Gifts
Mila Kovac opened her business, Rainbow Flowers & Gifts in July 1980 and has been serving the needs of her customers with custom-designed arrangements and fresh-cut flowers ever since.
“I have a few friends who help out in the store when we’re busy and we have a delivery service that delivers to customers the next day,” explains Kovac of how she handles a very hectic schedule.
In addition to standard flower arrangements and custom-designed bouquets, Rainbow Flowers offers party flowers, sympathy and funeral sprays/wreaths, as well as customized gift baskets packed with gourmet snacks and fresh fruit.
Kovac indicates that weddings were a large part of her business and she’s hoping for a more robust wedding season this summer as restrictions are slowly lifted across the region.
“There are still some supply issues we are dealing with, but I am hopeful that will ease at some point,” she adds. “We’ve seen a jump in delivery orders because many people have been unable to visit their family and friends in nursing homes so they’ve been sending flowers arrangements and gift baskets instead.”
Kovac feels one of the key attributes for any florist is the ability to be compassionate and share in the happiness and grief of their clients.
“You have to be sensitive and I like to think I’m equipped to be compassionate, especially for people who are dealing with a difficult time in their lives,” she says. “Receiving a well-designed bouquet or thoughtful gift can change a person’s outlook on life if only temporarily.”
In addition to flowers, she also sells figurines and different kinds of angels for that special person in your life.
You can order flowers online at: WindsorOntarioFlorists.com or make your selection in person by stopping by Kovac’s east end store at 9520 Tecumseh Road East in Windsor.
Bruce Philp Florist And Girard & Co. Flowers & Gifts
Alba Giglio, whose family owns Giglio’s Market, has operated two florist businesses for more than 20 years.
She took over Bruce Philp Florist, across Wyandotte Street from her family’s market, in 1992 and then added Girard & Co. Flowers & Gifts in 1997.
“When the opportunity to buy Bruce Philp Florist came up, it seemed like the perfect fit because of the location and also because we had some experience with perishable goods by owning the market,” explains Giglio.
She adds: “It’s been quite a ride since then. We’ve undergone major changes in the industry mostly related to Internet and online ordering, which has opened up our world, but has introduced a much higher level of competition for all of us in the business.”
Giglio points out that many Google searches for florists bring up a list of businesses that don’t have brick-and-mortar locations and most people aren’t even aware of who they are ordering from when doing so.
There are also hidden fees attached to many of these businesses, according to Giglio.
“You need to have a certain level of trust with your florist and we have to understand what the customer expects because we’ve dealt with them before,” she says. “I like to think we are facilitators of emotion both good and bad because all flowers send a message and we want it to be right.”
Part of getting it right is a policy of not leaving flower arrangements on a recipient’s porch or near the front door because they can be impacted by extremes of hot and cold weather.
“We always have a phone number so we can arrange a convenient delivery time and many people have kind neighbours who take in our flowers should the person receiving the delivery not be home,” comments Giglio.
Continuing the tradition of a family business, Giglio’s daughter, Mia Younan (pictured on front cover), has been working at both locations for a number of years.
“She’s been helping out since she was a little girl and she still does,” says Giglio. “It’s been great to work with family and we both enjoy it.”
In addition to flowers, they offer wedding arrangements and displays, memorial and sympathy gifts, gift baskets filled with gourmet foods and snacks, as well as corporate packages built around marketing items with logos on them.
Girard & Co. Flowers & Gifts — which features a balance of flowers and gift items — is located in Windsor at 1371 Grand Marais Road West, in the Yorktown Square plaza. Bruce Philp Florist — which is more focused on flowers and plants — can be found at 2229 Wyandotte Street West.
Dak’s Flowers
One of Windsor’s oldest florists, Dak’s Flowers has been owned by the husband and wife team of Martin and Heidi Hall for the past 20 years.
They bought the business, which is now 61 years old, from founder Dak Saba, and when their long-standing location at the corner of Erie Street East and Goyeau Street was sold, they moved to their current location at 669 Tecumseh Road East.
“We wanted to stay close to our old store and it has worked out very well for us,” says Heidi, who started her career in the business when she was 12 years old and worked for Fisher’s Flowers. “I worked there until I was 16 and I loved every part of it.”
She eventually joined Dak’s before buying the business and taking on the full responsibilities of being a business owner.
“It can be challenging, but I wouldn’t change a thing,” she states.
While many businesses have struggled for the past two years because of pandemic restrictions, others have flourished — including florists.
“People have been unable to get out and visit their family and friends, so they’ve been sending flowers, gift baskets, balloon arrangements and other gifts through their florists,” explains Heidi. “We have been very fortunate in that many of our long-time customers, who started ordering from Dak’s when Mr. Saba owned the business, have stayed with us.”
One of the major changes in the business, over the years, has been the use of the Internet to order flowers, adds Heidi, because many people want to see what they are ordering before it goes out.
“We still have a great many people who come into the store, but many orders are handled online because it’s so convenient and allows people to order without needing to leave their house,” she says.
Heidi adds that one of the biggest compliments she gets happens when a recipient of her flowers calls up and says they will be ordering from her in the future.
Their flower shop is open seven days a week, which allows the business to respond quickly to any customer order as soon as it’s placed.
They also offer gourmet baskets, balloon arrangements and gifts, which can be incorporated into any arrangements for occasions, including weddings, birthdays, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, a new baby arrival, Father’s Day, sympathy, get well soon, and congratulations.
The business has five employees with a separate nine-driver courier service on hand to make deliveries.
Dak’s Flowers is located at 669 Tecumseh Road East in Windsor.
