EXCLUSIVE: Spreading the Love to the Floral Department
Shoppers are taking time to stop and smell the roses this week, with the celebration of Valentine’s Day. Indeed, it’s one of the busiest times in retail floral departments, as flowers remain the second most popular gift for this holiday just behind candy, according to the National Retail Federation.
Progressive Grocer recently talked with Crystal Grossi, floral merchandising manager at SpartanNash, about how the food solutions company geared up for Valentine’s Day (and the associated Galentine’s Day celebrations) and other ways to draw shoppers to this fragrant, colorful part of the fresh perimeter.
“I don’t think anyone thinks about Valentine’s Day without thinking of flowers. There are other items sold in the basket for Valentine’s Day, but flowers are a key item,” she said, adding that the timing of this year’s occasion at the start of a weekend also bodes well for retailers with floral programs. “Especially being on a Friday this year, I think we’ll see some nice sales and hopefully sales lifts over last year.”
Although roses remain the most popular floral gift for Valentine’s Day, Grossi agreed that other varieties of flowers and even houseplants are on shoppers’ lists to give to their special someone. “We are also seeing interest in mixed bouquets and different colors – very vibrant, bright colors like oranges and yellows. Orchids are another big seller, because they are so elegant and pretty an there is a longevity of bloom,” she reported.
Like other grocers, stores operated by SpartanNash leverage cross-merchandising efforts for this seasonal event. “We lean heavily into cross merchandising. We start planning months in advance with multiple departments to make sure we have a good plan in place for store execution, whether it’s cross-merchandising in the beer and wine section, in bakery or with chocolate covered strawberries. We are really creating Valentine’s Day destinations in our stores,” Grossi remarked.
To her point, SpartanNash starts preparing for Valentine’s Day in the fall, when shoppers are focused on things like pumpkin spice products and pumpkins. The company, which operates both retail and wholesale businesses, works with suppliers around the world to ensure a fresh and varied offering of blooms and plants. “We figure out trends and have meetings with vendor partners and industry experts, and are then able to share that with our corporate entities and with independent customers to help them prepare,” Grossi explained.
The teams are already deep in planning for another big floral holiday – Mother’s Day – and find ways to promote flower purchases throughout the year. In the summer, for example, SpartanNash spotlights sunflowers grown by local farmers.
Increasingly, e-commerce is part of the mix when merchandising flowers and plants. “We started a partnership last year with DoorDash, so customers can go online and select one of our floral offerings. The last time I checked, an order could be delivered in as little as two hours. That’s a huge convenience factor, and something we continue to see growth in,” she said, adding that Valentine’s Day is frequently turnkey digital event. “You can pick up a steak and create a nice meal in conjunction with a floral bouquet and greeting card. All of those items are available.”
In addition to SpartanNash, many other retailers are spotlighting their in-store and online assortments for Valentine’s Day. Minnesota chain Lunds & Byerlys, for example, is touting Valentine’s Day dinner for two to be enjoyed at home and a $10 off deal for Bachman’s “Grand Romance” bouquets. Amazon Fresh stores are offering deals like surf and turf for two people for under $30, BOGO select Valentine’s Day candies and two dozen roses for $24.99. The Kroger Co., which bills itself as “America’s largest florist,” is offering on-demand floral delivery from 1,700 locations through DoorDash and Uber Eats and sharing recipes for romantic dinners at home, like chicken parmesan with Barilla Limited Edition heart-shaped pasta, among other Valentine’s Day merchandising efforts.
With 20,000 associates, SpartanNash operates two complementary business segments: food wholesale and grocery retail. Its global supply chain network serves wholesale customers that include independent and chain grocers, national retail brands, e-commerce platforms, and U.S. military commissaries and exchanges. On the retail side, SpartanNash operates 200 brick-and-mortar grocery stores, primarily under the banners of Family Fare, Martin's Super Markets, and D&W Fresh Market, in addition to dozens of pharmacies and fuel centers. The company is No. 45 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2024 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. Family-owned Lunds & Byerlys operates 29 locations throughout Minneapolis, St. Paul and the surrounding region. Seattle-based Amazon is No. 2 on The PG 100 and Cincinnati-based Kroger is No. 4.
