Why Do Florist Flowers Cost So Much When I Could Just Go to the Supermarket?
Hey, I get it. We all want to save money - save money, live better, right?
And I completely understand that flowers are a luxury. It’s easy to look at a £25 bouquet from a florist and think, “But I could just go to the supermarket and get flowers cheaper.”
And honestly? You absolutely can.
I’m not going to sit here and slate anyone for buying supermarket flowers, just like I wouldn’t slate someone for ordering clothes from Shein instead of going to an independent seamstress. You do you.
BUT I do think it’s worth explaining why florist flowers cost more than supermarket flowers, because knowledge is key - and then you can decide what matters to you.
1. Supermarkets Can Buy Flowers in MASSIVE Quantities
This is probably the biggest reason supermarket flowers are cheaper.
The majority of independent florists are small businesses with a handful of orders at a time. I might be ordering flowers for, let’s say, 12 bouquets.
A supermarket? They could be ordering enough flowers for thousands. When you’re buying huge quantities, you can negotiate much lower prices from growers and wholesalers. Those savings mean supermarkets can then sell flowers for less and still make a profit.
As a small independent florist, I simply cannot compete with that kind of buying power.
But that’s not just florists.
It’s the same with independent butchers, bakers, seamstresses, restaurants, sweet shops, fruit and veg markets… the list goes on. Sometimes buying from a small business does unfortunately cost a little more, because we don’t have thousands of customers spreading those costs out.
2. You’re Paying for the Skill, Not Just the Flowers
Okay… sorry to anyone who makes supermarket bouquets, but there isn’t the same level of floristry behind them.
Yes, they can look pretty.
But they’re designed to be produced quickly, consistently and in huge numbers. A professionally made florist bouquet is completely different. When I design a bouquet, I’m thinking about the shape, the balance, the colour palette, the different textures, how your eye moves through the arrangement, which flowers need height, where I want movement and which stems are going to be the main focus.
It shouldn’t just look like flowers have been taken from a bucket and wrapped in some cello. There is actual floristry behind it.
Then there’s the boring-but-important stuff you probably never see.
Flowers need properly conditioning when they arrive. Stems are stripped, leaves are removed from below the water line, stems are re-cut and flowers are checked for damage or disease. Buckets need cleaning. Water needs changing. Flowers are constantly checked and maintained while they’re in the studio.
All of that helps your flowers last longer.
I always think of it like this: You wouldn’t compare a handmade wedding dress from a seamstress to a white dress you picked up in a supermarket.
They might technically both be white dresses - but they are not the same product. And florist flowers vs supermarket flowers are very similar.
3. Not All Flower Stems Cost the Same
This is another big one.
You might walk into a supermarket and see a £10 bouquet with 20 stems.
Then you look at a £25 florist bouquet and think:
“Hang on… that one only has 15 stems. Surely the supermarket one is better value?”
On paper? I completely understand why it looks that way. But 20 stems doesn’t automatically mean a more expensive bouquet. Those 20 stems might include flowers such as chrysanthemums, carnations, alstroemeria and inexpensive foliage. Whereas a florist bouquet might contain dahlias, premium roses, lisianthus, delphiniums or other considerably more expensive varieties. Some individual flower stems can cost several times more than others.
It’s a bit like comparing a basket containing 20 supermarket basics products with a basket containing 15 premium products. Counting the items doesn’t tell you how much they cost.
And there’s also the choice.
You can’t normally walk into a supermarket and say:
“My mum’s favourite flowers are irises - can you make me something with those in?”
With me? You absolutely can. And knowing me, I’ll probably find you a funky variety you’ve never seen before as well.
That’s one of my favourite things about using an independent florist - your bouquet can actually feel like it was made for the person receiving it.
4. Independent Florists Have A LOT of Overheads
Flowers are only one part of the cost of running a floristry business.
Independent florists also have things like:
Insurance
Workspace or studio costs
Utilities
Websites
Marketing
Floristry tools and equipment
Card processing fees
Vehicles and fuel
Packaging
Ribbon
Flower food
Accounting
Waste
Delivery costs
…and probably about another 400 tiny things I’ve forgotten.
Supermarkets obviously have enormous overheads too. The difference is that those costs are spread across millions of transactions and thousands of different products. A florist needs to recover the majority of their business costs through… well… flowers.
And it’s rough out there.
So many incredible florists have had to close their high-street shops (just look around any Somerset high street) and move into studios, workshops or even spare rooms because running a traditional flower shop has become so expensive.
So… Are Supermarket Flowers Bad?
No.
And I genuinely mean that.
Sometimes you want to grab a £6 bunch of tulips while you’re doing the weekly shop because they’re pretty and they’ll brighten up your kitchen.
Go for it.
There is absolutely a place for supermarket flowers.
But there is also a place for independent florists.
If you want something personal, thoughtfully designed and made using beautiful flowers chosen specifically for you, then an independent florist might be worth spending a little more on. You’re not just paying for the number of stems. You’re paying for the flowers, the skill, the conditioning, the design, the time, the knowledge, the personal service and the little bit of personality that goes into creating something just for you.
So yes - supermarket flowers are cheaper.
I completely understand why someone might choose them.
But please, please, please don’t compare my prices directly to a supermarket.
Because I’m not a supermarket.
And I never will be.
