How do you get more customers as a florist?
Florist marketing is different from other shops. Purchases are emotional (a birthday, a loss, an apology), often urgent, and concentrated on a few dates. The best ideas are the ones that make people think of you at the right moment.
The 25 ideas below are simple and inexpensive. Pick five to start rather than launching everything at once.
Ideas 1 to 7: get seen locally and on Google
- A window that changes every week. Regular passers-by notice and step in. One theme per week: seasonal colours, the flower of the moment, the next big day.
- Buckets outside with readable prices (check with the council about pavement displays).
- A “Bouquet of the day £…” board for impulse buys.
- A complete Google Business Profile: “Florist” category, exact hours (bank holidays and Sundays included), recent photos, link to your website. See holiday hours on Google.
- One photo a day on Instagram or in your Google profile posts: a creation, a delivery, the workshop.
- Short videos of a bouquet being made: a few seconds is enough.
- A small website with “from” prices, delivery and an enquiry form for weddings and sympathy work: see website for a florist.
Free tool, no sign-up
Small business marketing calendar
Each year’s exact dates, with post and offer ideas for florists.
Ideas 8 to 13: plan the peak days ahead
Peak days make a large part of a florist’s year. The classic mistake is preparing them the same week. Apply one rule to each: 6 weeks before order flowers and containers, 4 weeks announce pre-orders, 2 weeks window and posts, 1 week reminder to customers.
| Peak | When | Idea |
|---|---|---|
| Valentine’s Day | 14 February | 8. Pre-orders with a collection slot, to avoid the queue on the 14th |
| Mothering Sunday | In spring, date varies (check the year) | 9. Pre-orders and delivery, personal card included |
| Easter | Date varies | 10. Spring bouquets and potted bulbs in the window |
| Wedding season | Spring and summer | 11. Consultation slots booked from January, a wedding page on your site |
| Father’s Day | June, date varies | 12. Plants and gift ideas beyond flowers |
| Christmas | 25 December | 13. Door wreaths, table centres, office orders, wreath workshops |
The marketing calendar tool gives each year’s exact dates, and our guide preparing seasonal promotions explains the method.
Valentine’s Day 🌹 Skip the queue: order your bouquet now and choose your collection time on 14 February. Roses, seasonal bouquets and little gifts from £[price]. Order in the shop, by phone on [number] or at [website].
Ideas 14 to 19: fill the quiet weeks
- Friday flowers. A seasonal bunch at a fixed price every Friday, announced on Thursday. People get into the habit of flowers for the weekend.
- Office and venue subscriptions. Hotels, restaurants, surgeries, agencies: a bouquet delivered and changed weekly or fortnightly. Regular income that smooths the year.
- Home subscriptions: a bunch every month or fortnight, collected or delivered.
- Floristry workshops. An Advent wreath, a seasonal hand-tie, a table centre: a Saturday afternoon, six to eight people, flowers included.
- Plants and advice: in winter, feature house plants and offer a repotting service.
- Smart end-of-week bunches: the most open blooms in smaller bunches at a lower price late on Saturday. Keep any “was/now” price honest and accurate.
| Office subscription (worked example) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Reception bouquet changed weekly, selling price | £40 ex VAT |
| Flowers and time (example) | £22 ex VAT |
| Margin per week | £18 ex VAT |
| Over 48 weeks, for 5 businesses | 48 × 18 × 5 = £4,320 margin a year |
These figures are an example: work out your own price with our florist pricing formula.
Ideas 20 to 25: bring customers back
- A dates reminder book. Offer customers who want it to note a birthday or anniversary, with their consent to be reminded a week before. “Martine’s birthday is on Thursday: shall we prepare something?” almost always brings them back.
- A well-designed card with your shop’s name: the person receiving the flowers discovers your address.
- A discreet note after a funeral order, with no sales message, if you know the family well.
- Google reviews: ask customers who come back to thank you. See getting more Google reviews for a shop.
- A reply to every review, personal and warm.
- A seasonal newsletter (four to six a year): upcoming peak days, workshops, seasonal flowers. See email newsletters.
Hello [First name], you asked me to remind you about [name]’s birthday on [date]. Shall I prepare a bouquet? Just tell me your colours and budget and I’ll do the rest. [Your name], [Shop name], [phone]
Thank you [First name] for your lovely message, we’re so glad your mum loved the bouquet. If you have a minute, a Google review would really help our little shop: [link]. See you soon, [Your name]
Bonus: build a local partner network
Many florist orders start with a recommendation from another local business. A small network of partners brings orders all year, including in the quiet weeks. Here is who to approach and what to offer:
| Partner | Why they need you | What to offer |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurants and cafés | Table flowers and a welcoming entrance | A weekly or fortnightly subscription with a fixed price |
| Hotels and B&Bs | Reception displays, flowers for guests’ special occasions | A reception bouquet plus an “order flowers for your stay” card |
| Wedding venues and planners | Couples ask them for florist recommendations | A short wedding brochure with “from” prices and photos |
| Funeral directors | Families ask them where to order sympathy flowers | A simple, respectful price list and fast, reliable delivery |
| Offices and surgeries | Reception areas and staff celebrations | Subscriptions and a birthday-bouquet service for staff |
| Other shops | Shop windows, events, gift baskets | Window displays for their events, joint offers |
Start with three partners you can serve really well, rather than ten you cannot. Visit in person with a bouquet and a one-page offer, then follow up a week later. Ask partners to mention you, and do the same for them: a recommendation goes both ways.
Hello [Name], I run [Shop name], the florist on [street]. I prepare weekly flowers for receptions and tables, changed every [week / fortnight], from £[price] ex VAT, delivered and set up. I’d be happy to drop off a sample bouquet so you can see the quality. Would next Tuesday suit you? [Your name], [phone]
A florist’s year planner
| Month | Prepare | Feature |
|---|---|---|
| January | Valentine’s orders, Christmas review, wedding consultations | House plants, first seasonal flowers |
| February | Mothering Sunday | Valentine’s Day (14 February) |
| March – April | Easter, summer weddings | Mothering Sunday, spring bouquets |
| May – June | Weddings, Father’s Day | Peonies and early-summer flowers |
| July – August | Office offer for September | Summer flowers, heat-tolerant plants |
| September – October | Christmas, Advent workshops | Office subscriptions, autumn bouquets |
| November – December | Corporate Christmas orders | Wreaths, table centres, Christmas |
- Every peak day prepared six weeks ahead
- A window that changes weekly
- One photo posted every trading day
- At least one regular appointment (Friday flowers, workshop)
- Reviews requested from customers who say thank you
This guide for your trade
Go further
Sources
The rules quoted in this guide come from these official pages, checked on October 28, 2026.