Roses mean more on Valentine’s Day

ISTANBUL - Anatolia News Agency

Interflora Turkey Chairman Recep Gedik says 70 percent of flowers bought on Valentine’s Day are roses and he expects an increase in rose sales today.

Roses are indispensable on Feb. 14 Valentine’s Day. Just like their colors, their numbers have various meanings, too.

The most important day on the calendar for lovers, Feb. 14 is also a big day for Turkey’s florists, who are expecting to conduct 10 million Turkish Liras worth of flower sales today, according to the chair of a sector association.

The country’s favorable growing conditions also mean the country is able to export $10 million in cut flower exports for each Valentine’s Day, Interflora Florists Association Turkey Chairman Recep Gedik said

Gedik said red roses and tropical flowers were being imported every year for Valentine’s Day. “Since almost every kind of cut flower and red rose production exists in our country, we have been exporting them in recent years. Only tropical flowers and Ecuador roses that cannot grow in Turkey’s climatic conditions are being imported.”

Gedik said 70 percent of flowers bought on Valentine’s Day were roses and added that since Feb. 14 was a weekday this year, an increase in rose sales from previous years was expected.

However, he also said weather conditions could affect the floriculture sector. “Because of the fact that most flower orders are based on home delivery, snow may negatively affect us. We hope there will be no snowfall on this day,” he said.

20-30 percent of sales via the Internet

Gedik said consumers generally asked flower shops to send orders to their home addresses, meaning that because street sellers did not have the chance to conduct home deliveries, their share in sales was low. “Generally, 20-30 percent of sales come via the Internet.”

He said the website www.interflora.org.tr would offer standardized prices for Valentine’s Day. “According to its size, a single red rose will be sold for 7 to 9 liras, seasons bouquets for 40 to 75 liras and arrangements for 50 to 100 liras.”

He said demand for flowers, and especially red roses, was very high on Valentine’s Day. “Since products are bought from producers for high prices for Valentine’s Day, this also affects final consumers. We put a great effort in trying to increase flower consumption in our culture,” he said. According to Gedik, flower consumption is 50 euros annually per person in Europe, but just one to two euros in Turkey.