Florists flat out

Flower power: This busy scene at Wild Stems Florist tells the happy story of a hugely busy Mother’s Day for florists in Gisborne despite the country being under Alert Level 3 restrictions. Hundreds of mums around the city received glorious bunches of flowers yesterday. There were so many deliveries that some florists had to close off orders by Wednesday and Thursday of last week. “It was one to remember,” said Michelle, who is pictured with partner Hollie Murrell, Rusty the dog and employee Pam Wilson. Picture Supplied

Level 3 lockdown conditions gave Gisborne florists their busiest Mother's Day in history yesterday.

Many were so inundated they had to close orders on Wednesday and Thursday last week.

Hundreds of bouquets were delivered to mums around town yesterday, with Friday and Saturday seeing similar numbers.

Country Garden Flowers owners Chantelle Ribbon and partner Dean Twigley had two vehicles running non-stop all day delivering 100 bunches of flowers yesterday.

Ms Ribbon said it was five times busier than normal.

Wild Stems owner Michelle Elliot said in her 15 years of business it was the busiest Mother's Day she had ever been involved in.

“It was one to remember,” she said.

“Thank you for all the support and everyone keeping it local, it was amazing.

“We had orders flooding in and had to stop taking orders about Thursday.”

The florists worked seven days last week, got family and friends to help, but had to stagger the number of people to meet Level 3 criteria and social distancing.

Some florists were still too busy to speak to The Herald this morning.

The high demand also pushed prices of their flower stock from suppliers about four to five times higher.

Ms Elliot said there were some great growers in Gisborne they could source stock from, as domestic stock prices had rocketed and overseas stock could not come into New Zealand because of the closed borders. It was a perfect storm of high demand and low stock, she said.

“I have never turned away business like we turned away last week.

“It was really hard. We had to honour and fulfil the orders we had taken to a high standard.”

With flowers sold out by Thursday, Ms Elliot gave customers the option of having a plant delivered instead which about 30 percent of people took up, she said.

Country Garden's Ms Ribbon said she and her staff were pretty exhausted last night, and she knew all florists were in the same boat.

“Florists around the country would have been inundated.”

Getting stock was “a nightmare”, said Ms Ribbon.

“It was really hard to get fresh flowers from our supplier.

“It went absolutely mad starting last week on Monday, trying to get any flowers around New Zealand.

“There was already a shortage but the supermarkets were buying the fresh flowers, and our suppliers were supplying them.”

It also meant pre-ordered flowers were sometimes cancelled on the day of delivery.

“I would put my order in and when the day came to send it, they would call me and say they could not fulfil the order.

“We were busy as soon as we came out of lockdown Level 4 — just madness.

Ms Ribbon said she knew Mother's Day was going to be busy because some people could not visit their mum, but it went beyond what she had expected.

“The phone didn't stop ringing with orders. Even after hours, people were ordering on our website.”

“It was unreal busy. People were even knocking on our door.”

Ms Ribbon said she saved flowers for her regulars.

“We will always save enough for our regular locals and provide for them who turn up on our doorstep.

In line with Level 3 conditions, Ms Ribbon said those who did turn up at their store, had to go back to their car and phone through their order, and then pick it up.

But no one left empty-handed.

There were also plenty of orders to fill that had been placed during Alert Level 4 as well.

“I am 100 percent sure every florist would have been under the pump.”

Ms Ribbon said people had asked her if flowers were an essential business under Level 3.

“Happiness is essential,” she said.