ILOILO City – Ilonggo flower vendors are readying themselves for the high demand and fast business of Valentine’s Day today, optimistic that their sales will equal or even exceed last year’s profits – even as they face new and tougher competition from e-commerce channels.
With the rise of social media use in the country, online shops offering a myriad of gimmicks and promos have popped up – even here in Iloilo – and they’ve been quick to jump on the bandwagon for this annual holiday, seeing the business potential of “Heart’s Day.”
Ilongga online seller Danessa Mae Atinon started accepting preorders for flowers and bouquets as early as Feb. 1 – offering free deliveries and accepting customized flower arrangement requests.
On her online shop, Atinon’s products range from an arrangement with three rose stems at P499 – P599 if the buyer wants to add a small stuffed toy – to a 12-stem rose bouquet with a teddy bear at P1,499, all with free delivery within Iloilo City.
Similarly, businesswoman Diada Pinket sells flower bouquets for pickup, starting at P750. However, the clever online seller has embraced the newest fad when it comes to Valentine’s Day gifts: stuffed toy bouquets and chocolate bouquet arrangements.
For as low as P1,700, Pinket offers a Hello Kitty bouquet of a dozen pink roses and eight stuffed toys of the popular Sanrio character. For the same price, one can also buy a bouquet arrangement red roses and baby’s breath flowers, topped with a dozen Ferrero Rocher chocolate hazelnut balls.
Pinket’s priciest merchandise is an arrangement of two dozen Ferrero Rocher chocolate nuggets surrounded by eight small teddy bears at P2,500.
Fifty-four-year old flower vendor Linda Geniga isn’t too worried about their competition, saying these online sellers probably still buy their flowers from local vendors, hence the higher prices.
Geniga, who has a shop in Iloilo Central Market, affirms that the iconic red rose is still the local favorite when it comes to gifts this “Heart’s Day” – never failing to be highly in demand during every Valentine’s season.
Geniga shares she sells three different kinds of roses: With ordinary roses at around P100 per piece, China roses at P250 per piece and more voluminous Ecuadorian roses at P400 per piece. She also sells rose bouquets and other flower arraignments starting at P1,500 – presented with a box. Geniga also sells chrysanthemum flowers, or mums at P300 per bundle, but customers seldom buy them for Valentine’s Day.
“Ang amon ginaubra is ga-mix kami roses sa isa ka bouquet with other flowers para baklon siya sang tawo”, said Geniga, adding that her flowers are sourced from Baguio City.
Similarly, 48-year old flower vendor Jaqueline Namay sells her roses at P100 per piece and at P1,800 per bouquet arrangement. Namay also sells special flower like gerbera for P50 per piece, costs P800 if ordered by dozen or arranged in a special set.
Namay told Panay News that her supply is mainly from Baguio and Cebu City, but she also personally owns a roses farm in Negros Occidental.
Moreover, 19-year old flower vendor Anthony Tabugio shares that his stall will gladly cater to those seeking to celebrate the special day on a budget. He shares that the prices of their flowers largely depend on the charges from their supplier. He sells mums at P300 per bundle and roses at P1,500 per dozen.
When asked if this year’s prices are more expensive than last year, Anthony answered: “Pareho lang man ang presyo. Gamahal lang man amon presyo depende sa okasyon pareho subong nga lapit na ang Valentine’s Day.” Tabugio’s supply is also sourced from Baguio City.
Baguio City is well known for its cold climate and the annual Panagbenga Festival wherein the region’s flowers farming industry takes center stage. The city is known to produce flowers such as roses, mums, anthuriums, and many more – often transported and sold at different markets around the country./PN
