Episode 124: Trending...Mother's Day 2022 Aftermath
Mother's Day 2022 is officially in the books, and Vonda and Lori hit record the morning after — still riding the wave of texts, testimonials, and Facebook posts from flower shop owners across the country. This "trending" episode is a debrief of the biggest floral holiday of the year: what sold out, what surprised everyone, and what smart shops did when the flowers ran out.
The holiday hit late — and hit hard
The common thread from shops everywhere: orders came in later than ever. On May 5th, plenty of owners were posting in panic that sales were down. By the weekend, those same shops were sold out and scrambling to shut off their websites. One shop said it hit so late they were sitting on a pile of flowers in panic mode — and then everything was gone, leaving them with nothing for Mexican Mother's Day on May 10th, a major date in many markets.
Why so last minute? The hosts point to the Amazon effect. When detergent can show up the same afternoon you order it, consumers carry that mentality into everything — including flowers. Vonda recalls Teleflora's Michael Martin warning florists for years, even before the pandemic, to be ready for last-minute holidays. Online ordering has only accelerated it. The takeaway: plan for the late surge instead of panicking when the early week looks quiet.
Sold out isn't a no — it's a Monday delivery
The hosts loved how shops handled being out of product. Instead of flatly saying no, smart florists posted, "We're out of flowers — but call Monday morning, we're getting a fresh load." Some took the order, called mom to tell her something special was on the way, and delivered Monday or Tuesday with fresh flowers. Mom still got the surprise, the shop still got the sale — and the competitor down the street was probably out of flowers too. It's the "never say no" mindset in action.
Prom, the Paradox of Choice, and 75 pre-made sets
With prom landing on Mother's Day weekend, one designer, Leslie Rolfe, built a brilliant workaround: 75 pre-made sets of silk wrist corsages, boutonnieres, and hand-tieds, displayed by color and ready to grab and go. She advertised that the shop wasn't doing fresh prom work — but had a great solution waiting. By Friday morning only 15 sets were left.
Lori connected it straight to the book The Paradox of Choice: when you control the options, customers decide faster and your labor drops. Instead of "what do you want?" — which eats design time during your busiest week — customers see A through E, match one to the dress, and walk out happy. It works for dance recitals too, which are coming right up: coordinate the ribbon to the costume, offer a range from $15 up to $100 presentation bouquets, and don't undersell yourself.
Feed your people, then let them rest
The photos that made the hosts' mouths water: shops feeding their teams all weekend — donut runs, lunch bars, and one shop where both the owner and his dad showed up with treats independently. Flower Clique's own web team worked shifts all weekend handling member requests, and members kept their sense of humor, too — a "stay hydrated" reminder text got mostly margarita-related replies.
But under the jokes was real exhaustion. One member had been coming in at 5 a.m. and leaving at 11:30 p.m. Several shops posted "thank you for a great holiday — see you Wednesday" and simply closed Monday and Tuesday. With staffing still tight everywhere, Vonda and Lori are firm: rest is not optional, for you or your team. Even if flowers don't feel like work, they are — step away and actually recover.
End with a grateful heart
The most heartwarming trend of all: shop after shop publicly thanking their customers first, then their staff by name. Waking up with a grateful heart, the hosts say, changes your mood and the mood of everyone around you. So as you limp into the post-holiday week with sore feet, remember how many moms smiled because of what you made. That's the real bottom line of Mother's Day.
Key takeaways
- Holidays keep getting more last-minute — expect a late surge and don't panic-read early-week sales.
- "Sold out" can still be a sale: take the order, call the recipient, and deliver fresh on Monday.
- Pre-made, displayed options (like silk prom sets) cut labor and speed up decisions — control the choices.
- Feed your team during the push, then build in real rest afterward — even close a day or two.
- Thank your customers and your staff publicly; gratitude sets the tone for everyone.