Don't Miss Out on Easter Sales

Easter is a growing retail opportunity for florists.

Easter is not just a small seasonal event—it’s a major spring retail opportunity driven by home decorating, gifting, and family gatherings. By focusing on seasonal flowers, gift bundles, table décor, and early promotions, florists can significantly increase sales during the Easter period.

I have found that over the years in retail floristry, Easter has had its highs and lows, but in recent times, especially in the UK, spending has been on the increase for this spring occasion. Research has shown that mini gifts, home décor, home entertaining and of course the traditional Easter chocolate egg are all on the rise with our customers.

Did you know that Easter spending has reached around £1.3billion?

That’s a heck of a sum for us not to want to be a part of!

Most purchases happen around 2–3 weeks before the bank holiday weekend, with many last-minute orders in the final days. So, let’s make the most of this opportunity and really highlight seasonal spring flowers. Daffodils, tulips and hyacinths are popular spring flowers, with lilies also strongly associated with Easter because they symbolise rebirth, renewal and the arrival of spring. 

From experience, I find that bouquets and arrangements often sell well when they have a product name, as the customer can immediately relate to the season or it can seem more personal. A couple of examples are:

• “Spring Awakening” bouquet – this could be full of mixed seasonal stems, or all one particular stem type.

• “Easter Garden” arrangement – a beautiful, planted arrangement immediately springs (!) to mind, full of colour and spring bulbs.

• “Lilies Galore” – A vase of white and yellow lilies with forsythia branches.

Many families host Easter Sunday lunch which creates demand for decorative table flowers, so let’s make the most of this and really promote:

• Low Easter table centrepieces.

• Bud vase sets for dining tables.

• Floral arrangements with decorative eggs.

These products appeal to customers preparing their homes for Easter Bank Holiday weekend.

Many online florists already combine flowers with chocolates or gifts to increase sales. Easter eggs, chocolates, candles and greetings cards are always lovely to either add on to a sale or create complete gift bundles.

As with any product collection, marketing is key and it is easier to gain momentum if you plan how and when you want to market your Easter collection. My recommendation would be to start thinking about what your collection is going to consist of, early in the New Year (combining your collections with Valentine's and Mother’s Day planning of course).

Make your Easter products cute, smart and affordable, in other words do not have too many choices as this can put customers off. Promote pre-orders 2–3 weeks before Easter, or if time permits, straight after Mother’s Day. Many flower delivery services encourage early ordering to ensure deliveries arrive before the Easter weekend. A large percentage of customers buy flowers just days before Easter. So, promote same-day delivery, next-day delivery and click-and-collect bouquets.

Customers increasingly buy Easter decorations for their homes, including Easter door wreaths. I love a beautiful spring decorative wreath on my door, hanging it proudly on my front door as soon as the lighter days of spring appear. I then add beautiful accessories such as decorative eggs, nearer to the Easter weekend to make it more appropriate for when family and friends come around.

This is a really positive way of promoting your creativeness and your skill set. You could offer a bespoke, personalised service, just as you would for the festive Christmas season. But you must promote this service early, as your competitors will take that business away from you if you do not get in first!

Partnerships with local businesses can expand your customer growth, so explore possible collaborations with:

• Bakeries (flowers + Easter cakes)

• Chocolate shops (flowers + Easter eggs)

• Cafés (table flowers for Easter brunch)

These partnerships create unique gift bundles and cross-promotion opportunities.

An eye-catching window display can turn Easter into a strong impulse-buy season for florists. The goal is to create a seasonal, and joyful display, that stops people walking past, creates an ‘insta’ opportunity and draws customers into the shop. A good, strong window display does not need to have a window full of stock to make it work. A good window display should grab passers-by attention, whether they are on foot, in a car or on a bus! Presentation is key. You want your window to be visible, strong and talked about. So, get your thinking caps on, get your team involved and get going for Easter!

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With over 35 years’ experience, Karen Barnes is one of the UK’s leading consultants to the floral industry and an expert in product development, future trends & colours, and floral photography design & planning. She’s an interior floral designer, high profile wedding and event floral planner, and prominent international competition judge.

From teaching on a one-to-one basis to coaching small, intimate classes and larger teams, Karen can encourage, motivate and mentor your next step in the florist industry. Sharing her vast experience, Karen can help you expand your knowledge and creativity.