Every year on May 26, Poland celebrates Mother’s Day, which has become one of the country’s most significant flower-buying events. Supermarkets across the nation see their shelves increasingly filled with a variety of flowers in the lead-up to this special day. However, this year presented some unique logistical challenges for supermarket buyers due to the holiday falling on a Monday. With everything closed on Sundays in Poland, it was unclear whether the main flower stock should be delivered on Friday, Saturday, or Monday, as explained by Bohdan Tustanivskyi of Profiflora, a leading cut flower supplier. Tustanivskyi and his team visited several supermarkets in Poland on Mother’s Day to observe the trends and offerings.
Trend of Ready-Made Mixed Bouquets
By Saturday, supermarket shelves were already brimming with Mother’s Day flowers and bouquets. Tustanivskyi noted a significant increase in the number of ready-made mixed bouquets compared to previous years. “This trend is influenced by Western Europe, particularly Germany and the Netherlands,” he said. For instance, at Lidl, over half of the shelf space was dedicated to ready-made bouquets. Additionally, there was a noticeable decline in the number of tulips available for the holiday, a trend that has been observed year after year.
Diverse Assortment Across Supermarkets
Tustanivskyi and his team found a diverse assortment of flowers in the supermarkets they visited. The Polish-owned supermarket chain, Dino, stood out by offering high-quality premium roses measuring 50 cm with large heads. They also featured exclusively Polish-grown tulips and carnations imported solely from Colombia.
Other supermarkets like Auchan and Kaufland showcased their usual wide range of flowers, including peonies, freesias, mixed bouquets, and more. Lidl, as mentioned earlier, focused mainly on “bouquet in rattan” arrangements and attractive mixed-color rose bouquets. Biedronka, known for its budget-friendly options, offered a large quantity of African roses, spray carnations, and mix margaretka.
Growing Flower Market in Supermarkets
According to Tustanivskyi, the flower area and assortment in supermarkets are expanding year by year. “It’s evident that supermarkets are capturing a larger share of the floral market,” he said. Customers appreciate the stable prices and wide variety of flowers available. The convenience of shopping hours, from 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM, allows for last-minute purchases. “Most importantly, the increasing number of flowers on the shelves each year for Mother’s Day indicates that children are showing their love for their mothers more and more,” Tustanivskyi concluded.
