Trending Subjects: Let's Talk Prom and Delivery
When two threads in the Flower Clique members' Facebook group each rack up more than 30 comments and keep going, Vonda and Lori pay attention. That's exactly what happened with two subjects this spring: prom pricing and delivery charges. With Valentine's Day behind us, Mother's Day ramping up, and gas prices roughly double what they were a year ago, the hosts skip the "why is this happening" hand-wringing and go straight to the practical question every shop owner is asking — what do I do about it?
Prom is back — and so are the corsage headaches
After a couple of quiet pandemic years, prom is fully back, and shops are rediscovering just how labor-intensive corsages and boutonnieres are — made worse this year by a glue shortage. The member chatter revealed a wide range of pricing: one Midwest shop's minimum wristlet starts at $30, while another member won't sell a wristlet under $60, with corsages running $75 to $125 and boutonnieres starting at $24.95. Vonda's take: the smart shops know what their time is worth. Flower Clique recommends a 45% labor charge on corsage work because it takes so long — the days of the $10 wrist corsage are gone, and they should be. As Vonda points out, a designer can knock out far more vase arrangements in an hour than wrist corsages, so if you're fighting a prom-and-Mother's-Day weekend, the math matters.
When prom lands on Mother's Day weekend
Several members discovered their local prom falls on Mother's Day weekend this year — a scheduling nightmare for a flower shop. If you're lobbying the school to move it next year, choose your words wisely: "it's bad for my business" won't land, but "mothers can't enjoy Mother's Day if their children were out all night before" will. Lori's tip: get the PTO or PTA on your side and let the moms go to battle for you.
For this year, Vonda has a workaround that can save your sanity: build prom pieces about 90% complete in permanent botanicals ahead of time, then pop in one or three fresh blossoms during prom week. The labor that week becomes minimal, and you can handle both holidays. Pair that with a controlled corsage bar — four or five preset stations so customers feel like they have choice while you control the options — and use trend reports (like the Pioneer Imports and Wholesale prom trend report Sarah Bostich shared with the group) to pick the right colors for your area.
One more prom note: most corsage orders don't happen online — it's usually a mom walking in. But you still need prom on your website, both as inspiration and so you show up when someone searches "prom" plus your town. If the word isn't on your site, customers won't know you do them.
Delivery charges have to go up
The second trending topic: delivery. The hosts' rule of thumb is that half of your delivery charge should cover your driver's pay, with the other half covering fuel, the vehicle, and maintenance. With gas prices where they are, the old $9.95 or $14.95 charge simply doesn't pencil out anymore. One member's gas bill ran $200 higher last month than the month before — she changed all her delivery prices the next day.
The hosts' advice for making the change without drama: raise prices across every zone, not just one, and don't call it temporary — no one expects a delivery charge to go back down, and a dollar or two won't drive customers away when every restaurant, dry cleaner, and even Amazon (whose Prime membership fee just went up) is raising prices too. If gas keeps climbing, add a separate fuel surcharge — a flat $2 or $3 line item — rather than reworking your whole price list again. And don't apologize at the register. Don't even bring it up. Just say, "with delivery, that total comes to…" and move on.
One West Coast member goes further: $15 local delivery, $20 to $30 for further zones, plus a $7.50 website processing fee ($5 for phone orders) that offsets her credit card fees. Her report? Not one customer has ever questioned it.
Key takeaways
- Price corsage work for the labor it actually takes — build in roughly 45% labor, and let the bargain hunters go elsewhere.
- Pre-build prom pieces in permanent botanicals and add fresh blooms at the end, especially when prom collides with Mother's Day.
- Offer controlled choice: a corsage bar with four or five preset options feels custom without overwhelming anyone.
- Half your delivery charge should cover the driver; the other half covers fuel and the vehicle — run your numbers and raise accordingly.
- Raise delivery across all zones, skip the apology, and use a flat fuel surcharge if gas keeps climbing.