Remember your local florist! (Austin, Happy: to buy, live, prices)

[BentBow]

Spend your money local, if your going to get some buds for the ladies.

Forget the 1-800 flowers and Teleflora, buy directly from the source and cut out the middle man!!

Happy Valentine's Austin!

[llkltk]

Okay, okay. I shop local but honestly I think that the locals jack up the prices, and it's a bad economy and, people should get the best price they can!!!! Shop wherever you choose!

[10scoachrick]

Of course, in many cases, the 800 folks USE the locals to actually make the delivery(minus their 'cut', naturally). Interestingly, the closest HEB has very nice cut flowers for most occasions...headed there right now. Doesn't mean DW won't get something else at our Valentine's lunch tomorrow!

[BentBow]

Ever notice how the floral dept is next to the produce dept, at grocery stores?

The citrus off gassing causes the flowers to wilt faster. Lily's will turn brown quickly from the acid off gassing.

[woodinvilleguy]

Costco has the best prices on flowers and they last the longest in my experience. I don't bother with cut roses or tulips here any more because they die so quick. Mixed floral bouquets tend to last longer. I stay away from flowers around valentines day and by my lovely wife flowers the other 11 months of the year just because.

[kiacook]

I think that the locals jack up the prices

That may be true in some cases, but most locals are independents meaning that they don't have the efficiencies of scale that larger companies do and might have higher supply costs. A good price is a good price but it doesn't hurt to think about what you're getting for that price - a one time flower delivery vs supporting a healthy local economy.

[ROY DUBOSE]

yep, we've lost Casa Verde Florist on Koenig -- another one bites the dust -- sad, sad

[Trainwreck20]

Ever notice how the floral dept is next to the produce dept, at grocery stores?

I have never really paid attention to where most floral depts are, but at the local HEB that I shop at they are next to the cards, balloons, etc...not really anywhere near the produce dept.

Of course, in many cases, the 800 folks USE the locals to actually make the delivery(minus their 'cut', naturally).

Almost all of the 'national' florist contract with one or more locals, but the pricing is then set (or limited) by the large networking florist operations. That can be good or bad. Personally, when I do buy flowers, I usually do get them at HEB. If my wife were a floral 'connoisseur', so to speak, maybe I would hunt around a bit more, but the flowers we have gotten there have been generally very good quality, in our experience.

The times that I have gone to local florists (and it has been a while) they have been a bit disorganized, so although I go there to buy something very specific, they have more than once not gotten it correct.

[BentBow]

Originally Posted by Trainwreck20

Almost all of the 'national' florist contract with one or more locals,

The times that I have gone to local florists (and it has been a while) they have been a bit disorganized, so although I go there to buy something very specific, they have more than once not gotten it correct.

National florist??? Really???

There is no florist about them. Nothing at all.

They are a call bank of telephones, that keeps a cut. They are no way, a florist in any sense.


Unorganized?? It is the same unorganized florist, the callbank is going to contact to fill your order, after keeping a little for themselves.

The middle man... the American way.