On Feb. 14, many people say “I love you” with flowers of all kinds and all colors.
But for many consumers, cost may play a big role in the quality of flowers.
Undercover shoppers from Washington Consumers’ Checkbook visited different flower shops and stores in D.C. to find the best quality flowers and the biggest deals for customers. Kevin Brasler with Consumers’ Checkbook said if customers are looking to save money, DIY arrangements are the best option.
“If you're really looking to save money, pick up the flowers yourself … You can save half or even more,” Brasler said.
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Many local grocery stores carry flowers such as roses, lilies and hydrangeas but Brasler said every store has different buying standards.
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More than 60 local florists were rated on the Consumers’ Checkbook and reports showed that prices were, on average, 60% lower at supermarkets and wholesale clubs than at retail florists. But when it comes to supermarket flowers, Brasler said the quality may not be the same.
“They may not last as long as you’d get from a really good retail florist and the reason is that all these different sources have pretty much the same product from the same place in the world,” Brasler said.
The details are in the flowers.
At retail florists, customers may have direct say in how they want to custom arrange their flowers and also get them delivered for special occasions.
Brasler also suggested to beware of online orders. With online flower brokers, customers may not always get what they see.
“With the picture you see online, it's difficult to see, well, how big is that arrangement. A lot of people are disappointed. Their arrangement looks really nice and really big online, but it's because the vase was only this big,” Brasler said.
With many options to choose from this Valentine’s Day, Consumers’ Checkbooks recommends to stay local and support your community.
Get free ratings of local florists from Washington Consumers’ Checkbook here: Florists - Ratings and Reviews - Washington Consumers' Checkbook.
