Have you noticed your floral department looking a little drab? If your customers seem to be passing over your typical arrangements of potted mums and carnation bouquets, it might be time to spice things up. The visual appeal of orchids is one reason to start making room on your shelves, but it’s not the only reason. In fact, selling Phalaenopsis orchids can actually maximize your revenue and reduce costs.
Orchids Bring in More Annual Revenue Than Other Plants of Similar Size
It’s a big claim to say stocking your floral department with Phalaenopsis orchids will bring in more revenue for your store, but here’s how:
Phalaenopsis orchids tend to come with a higher price point than other plants of similar size. Many orchids sell for $19.99, which is higher than other 6-inch plants. However, the higher price point isn’t high enough to deter consumers. Since orchids are generally thought of as more exotic than your standard potted mum, customers are willing to pay a few extra dollars.
Orchids are 5-inch flowering plants, which means they take up less floor space than your typical 6-inch plant. Because of their smaller footprint, your store can display 50 percent more product per square foot. This makes the display more appealing to customers and gives your store higher revenue potential.
Let’s crunch some numbers to illustrate just how much additional revenue opportunity is possible: Using the typical nesting tables display with 13.75 square feet of space, your store could display 45 orchids compared with only 30 standard 6-inch plants. Since orchids run about $5 more than standard plants, they’ll be bringing in more than $65 per square foot, while standard 6-inch plants only bring in slightly over $32 per square foot.
Low-Maintenance Orchids Help Reduce Costs
Selling orchids can also help reduce costs in your store. A typical watering schedule for most flowering plants is two or three times per week and usually requires the use of a hose or watering can. With a full floral department, this task can take up valuable employee time. It also leaves significant room for human error. Overwatering or underwatering can affect the quality your product, making it less likely to sell and more likely to end up as waste.
With Phalaenopsis orchids, the only maintenance required is three ice cubes added to the potting soil once a week. There’s no additional watering, misting or refrigeration required. This takes the guesswork out of maintaining your plants and reduces the employee interaction necessary for them to thrive. The shelf life of an orchid also tends to exceed other flowering plants. You can display your inventory of orchids for more than four weeks without having to worry about wilting.
Want to learn more about how carrying orchids in your store can maximize revenue and reduce costs? Contact us to learn more.