Retailers say flower sales were down during Administrative Professionals Week

One-third of respondents, however, expected sales to increase over Mother's Day weekend.

Photo: ronstik, Adobe Stock

Photo: ronstik, Adobe Stock

About 73% of the retailer respondents to a Society of American Florists post-holiday survey on Administrative Professionals Week (APW) said sales were down this year. In write-in responses, however, some respondents also noted that, given current events, holiday sales were better than expected.

The survey also found that 96% of respondents plan to be open this week and weekend for Mother's Day. About 43 percent are planning for a sales drop, 33% are expecting an increase and the rest are planning for flat returns, compared to 2019. (Those results are generally consistent with a survey that SAF conducted earlier in April after the Easter and Passover holidays.)

The survey was emailed to SAF members from all industry segments on April 30 and had a response rate of 4.1%. More than 92% of the respondents were retailers .More detailed data and input from industry members regarding the holiday are available to SAF members on safnow.org.