Three Main Differences Between Wholesale And Retail Flowers

Typically, when one buys flowers at a grocery store or their local florist, they are buying the flowers retail. Retail bought flowers simply means you are a consumer purchasing on an individual level. This means you do not get a significant price break for buying a large amount of flowers and it also probably means you do not have a license to resell whatever it is that you are buying.

The retailers from whom you purchase your flowers will most likely have bought their flowers wholesale-which basically mean that they were price-reduced for having been purchased in bulk by a retailer with a license to resell them. Typically, this is how it works out. There are, however, exceptions to the rule. Nowadays, many wholesalers are choosing to sell directly to the public by cutting out the middlemen, or, the retailers.

So what is the difference between flowers that are bought wholesale and flowers that are bought retail? There are three significant differences. The first significant difference is of course the price. Wholesale flowers are typically less expensive because you do not have to pay the middleman, the retailer, for the extra step in the supply chain.

The second significant difference between retail and wholesale flowers is their level of freshness. As you already know, flowers only have a certain amount of time they are alive after they have been cut from their stems. This means that every day that they are separated from their stems is one less day that the customer will have to enjoy their freshness. Retailers purchase from wholesalers which adds somewhere around one to five days longer between the time the flowers are cut and the time the customer gets to enjoy the flowers.

The third significant difference between retail and wholesale flower purchases is the quality of arrangement you will receive. Since retailers specialize in selling to the public, they take great care in the presentation of their bouquets. Usually, their bouquets come arranged in a creative design and more often than not they also include a vase. Wholesale flowers typically are delivered in a box and are not arranged in an artistic bouquet.

While there are undoubtedly pros and cons to purchasing flowers retail and wholesale, nothing can really compare with wholesale fresh flowers as that can extend the life of your bouquet by several days. When customers find an opportunity to purchase their blossoms wholesale, they are smart to seize the opportunity as it is not often that customers are given that option.