Why Do Roses Cost More On Valentine's Day? How To Buy Cheap Flowers Amid Spike In Prices Because Of High Demand

Red roses are one of the most well-known symbols of Valentine’s Day and yet the holiday is probably the worst time of year to buy the flowers given how much their price spikes in mid-February. The price of roses can spike anywhere from 30 to 50 percent around the country as Americans spend more than $2.1 billion on the flowers, CBS reported.

The increased demand for long-stemmed roses before Valentine’s Day is responsible for the spike in the flower’s price in the week around the holiday, especially as production costs rise due to the massive volume of flowers required for the one day, according to Teleflora.com. In recent years, more than 110 million roses have been sold in the U.S. for Valentine’s Day and, in order to keep up with the demand, growers essentially have to create a “bumper harvest” where they stop everyday production of the flowers in order to accelerate the volume they can produce by Feb. 14, said Teleflora. The cost of stopping this regular production is passed on to the consumer along with the costs associated with hiring additional temporary labor and and extra trucks and drivers to transport the increased loads.

Length of stem is another key factor in pricing, with longer-stemmed roses costing about $2 per stem wholesale compared to shorter-stemmed roses, which cost about $1.50 around Valentine’s Day, Reuters reported. This accounts for the difference in prices that can be found between grocery stores and more high-end florists, with the latter typically offering the better quality, longer-stemmed options.

One way to cut down on costs while maintaining quality is to buy from big warehouse stores like Costco and BJ’s, which can keep their rose prices cheap because they buy in bulk, according to FoxBusiness.com. The one drawback to that is that you are likely to sacrifice personalized service and customization options that even small grocery stores can provide you with. But, perhaps the best way to get quality flowers at affordable prices is to order your rose bouquets in January before price increases go into effect, according to Teleflora. This option allows you to lock in the lower price while ordering the most impressive bouquet you want.