Understanding independent florists’ needs

Industry overview

What is shaping floral

Flowers are bought for occasions, gifting and decoration, through florists, gifting platforms and street vendors. Freshness and delivery reliability are everything.

Gifting occasions drive demand peaks
Online gifting platforms are growing
Growers need better access to markets

Client background

A floral wholesale supplier, working in United Kingdom. Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.

Organisation: A floral wholesale supplier
Sector: Floral
Team engaged: Market Research
Services: Business panel, Quantitative research, Qualitative research

Client challenge

The wholesaler supplied hundreds of independent florists across the UK, but its share of their spending was slipping as florists split orders between suppliers and bought some stock directly from Dutch auction exporters. Florists themselves were under pressure from supermarkets and online flower delivery platforms, and the wholesaler wanted to understand how to become their preferred partner.

Research objectives

Deliver on the brief: understanding independent florists’ needs.
Understand the views, needs and behaviour of florists.
Measure how widespread each pattern is, and explain the reasons behind it.
Give the client evidence it can act on within 6 weeks.

Target audience

The work focused on 500 florists.

florists500

Audiences we typically reach in floral

Gift buyersFloristsFlower growersEvent plannersCorporate gifting buyers

Geographic coverage

Coverage: United Kingdom. Market: United Kingdom.

United Kingdom

Research methodology

A mixed-method design: structured research measured how widespread each pattern was, and qualitative conversations explained why.

1Brief
2Florist survey
3Shop interviews
4Insight

We surveyed florist owners about how they planned stock, which suppliers they used for different products, how much flower stock they threw away each week, delivery timing and their views on online ordering. Researchers then visited twenty shops on delivery days to see how orders arrived, how stock was checked and where waste occurred, and interviewed owners about their busiest occasions and biggest frustrations.

Business panelQuantitative researchQualitative research

Sampling strategy

florists: 500

Business respondents were screened on role, company size and involvement in the decision before being invited.
Online respondents were drawn from verified panel members who matched the screening criteria, with quotas on key profile attributes.
Qualitative participants were recruited purposively to cover the full range of experiences that mattered, rather than for statistical representation.

Data collection

interviews: 20

Brief & design Sampling & set-up Fieldwork Analysis Reporting Indicative split of the 6-week timeline.

The online survey was mobile-friendly and offered in respondents' languages.
Interviews and discussions were led by experienced moderators using a guide agreed with the client.

Data quality & validation

Digital fingerprinting and duplicate checks
Attention, speed and straight-lining checks
Review of open-ended answers
Recordings and transcripts for every session
Re-screening of qualitative recruits
Logic and range checks on the final data
Work carried out under our ISO 20252 quality procedures

Data analysis

Cross-tabulation by key groups and locations
Significance testing on the differences that mattered
Thematic coding of interviews and discussions
Journey and decision mapping

Key findings

Wastage was the florists’ biggest cost worry, and large minimum orders forced them to buy more than they could sell.
They also wanted to order late in the evening after closing.

Helping florists reduce waste built more loyalty than lower prices.

Recommendations

The wholesaler introduced smaller, more frequent deliveries, an app for evening ordering with live availability and a weekly “seasonal picks” list.
Share the findings with the teams closest to customers so they can act quickly.