Blooming variety

Store Equipment & Design, Jan, 2001 by Will Daley

* Use props, such as a table and a chair. "That's so people can envision it in their home," Schover says.

* More and more shoppers are buying flowers on a weekly basis from the supermarket, says Michael Skaff, a floral consultant in Shrewsbury, Mass. "It's because supermarkets are doing a better job of offering flowers at a lower cost and better quality," he says. And magazines, such as Martha Stewart's Living, have educated people, helping to usher in a trend of decorating with flowers, he says.

* "Flowers follow the trend of home decor," Skaff says. And like paint, flowers go in and out of popularity. Currently the home decor trend is neutral interiors with creams, whites and beiges, accessorized with flowers. Good flowers for this are tulips, snapdragons and bells of Ireland.

* Don't underestimate the importance of lighting. Storeowners need proper lighting so the flowers colors remain true, says Marcy Britigan. "When was the last time you changed the fluorescent tubes in your cooler?" she asks. If its been four years, then he lights are providing less than 50 percent of their luminating ability, she says.

* Watch the calendar. Mother's Day and Valentines Day are the two most lucrative flower sales days of the year, according to a study by the Food Marketing Institute and the Floral Marketing Association.

* You'll have more competition. The total number of floral departments was expected to grow at a rate of 9 percent in 2000, statistics show.

* When it comes to relationships, flowers are better than chocolate. A recent scientific study showed the presence of flowers affects moods and behaviors in a powerful way. Though receiving gifts in general yields positive emotional or happy effects, the research shows flowers have a more immediate and positive impact on happiness other non-floral gifts.