Valentine's Day Means a Boost for Bachman's Flower Sales

Valentine’s Day is in full bloom. But what does the most romantic day of the year mean to the floral industry?

“We do depend heavily on this particular holiday,” said Lisa Thole, the store manager for  of Apple Valley. Bachman's also has a vast nursery in where many a flower are grown.

The majority of Bachman’s Valentine's Day orders are processed during the six day period between Feb. 9-14. Bachman’s fills an average of 500 orders annually for Valentine’s Day, Thole estimated.

The classic dozen red roses is the most popular Valentine’s Day order. The flower really is popular year-round; nationally, the floral industry sells more than $17 million in roses per year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

In 2011, the Apple Valley Bachman's sold 1,047 roses alone for Valentine's Day.

“Valentine’s Day is a nice boost,” Thole said.

The holiday helps jumpstart Bachman’s fiscal year, which begins in February, an otherwise slow month for the store.

But despite its financial merits, there are some Bachman’s employees for whom Valentine’s Day is a challenging and potentially unpleasant workday. Depending on the weather and day on which the holiday falls, floral delivery drivers may have to brave dangerous weather or make a large number of office deliveries.

“It’s a tight window, let’s just say that,” Thole said.

But the flowers themselves speak to something more than profits or delivery schedules.

“It’s a romantic thing,” said Thole. “Everybody associates flowers with romance.”