Of fresh-cut flowers purchased for mom, 32% are roses
What affects the price of roses from a florist?
DRAMA: Bigger heads, longer stems (30 inches and up) cost more.
VARIETY: There are over 200 commercial varieties of roses. The trendier ones command top dollar.
LOCATION: Most are flown in from Colombia and Ecuador.
TEMPERATURE: Roses must remain at 34-36 degrees. Notes Harrison “Red” Kennicott, of Chicago’s Kennicott Bros., a wholesale florist: “Once they get warm, they start becoming physiologically older.”
PRICE RANGE: roughly $30-$60
IT BREAKS DOWN THIS WAY:
$4.80 – $7.20: Grower’s cost. Includes rosebush, land, water, labor, cutting, grading, bunching, boxing.
$1.56 – $3.14: Transport cost from grower to Chicago via Miami (includes inspections).
$2.23 – $3.62: Wholesaler’s markup. Includes repackaging and delivery to retailers.
$25.77 – $41.88: Florist’s markup. Includes costs of refrigeration, spoilage, labor, packaging, guarantee.
