Bulk Flowers – Tips for Ordering Success
There are many times when purchasing bulk flowers makes the most sense. Ordering bulk flowers saves a significant amount of money. Very busy florists order bulk flowers all the time and are able to leverage the cost savings for higher profits or pass along the savings to clients.
Realizing the cost savings by ordering bulk flowers is not just for high volume florist shops. There are wedding floral designers, floral event planners, do-it-yourself floral designers, or even funeral flower specialists that could benefit from ordering bulk flowers.
Anytime there is a large planned event (weddings, celebration events, corporate meetings, etc.) or high volume floral design situation (floral design class, highly populated areas with a large number of ongoing funerals, etc.) then purchasing bulk flowers is the way to go.
Bulk flowers are supplied through several different outlets. There are local wholesalers that can support bulk flower orders, usually on an advanced notice basis. Regional wholesalers (typically located in Florida, Texas or California) that receive and process international flower shipments on a daily basis can provide direct shipment options of bulk flowers. Bulk flowers are shipped via ground or air freight and may be delivered direct to door or to the cargo holding areas of airports for pick up depending upon delivery method chosen.
Recently, within the past several years, there are also online wholesale bulk flower vendors that can take orders over the internet and ship bulk flowers direct along with online flower auction sites which are another good option.
It is helpful to set up an account with several different types of suppliers of bulk flowers ahead of time. Having a pre-approved account with suppliers will enable orders to be quickly placed and shipped without delay. If you don’t have a pre-approved account, there may be significant delays in getting your order approved in time to receive shipments when needed.
Generally, to set up an account with suppliers, it will require having a valid Federal ID business number, Tax exempt certificate, and having good credit references, or a corporate purchasing credit card. There is typically an account manager at each vendor that will be assigned to help and handle all of your ordering and account needs. Having easy and quick access to order bulk flowers from multiple vendors is a good idea as not all suppliers carry each type of bulk flower that may be needed for any given situation.
Another important point to be aware of is that the ordering of bulk flowers during certain times of the year can be more challenging than other times of the year. This is especially true during the Valentine’s and Mother’s Day periods. Placing orders for bulk flowers well in advance is highly recommended to secure the necessary supply needed.
