“On the Front Lines” by Hugo Clément: What About the Florists in All This?

A very harsh light was shone on the flower market in France and around the world this Monday, February 7, on France 5, during Hugo Clément’s report on the globalization of red rose production. With Valentine’s Day approaching, consumers were able to see just how much the red rose—the symbol of the holiday for lovers—reflects the changes in the global economy.

Amid the shift to offshored production and the decline in domestic horticultural production, the report also revealed that Dutch growers are attempting to circumvent European pesticide regulations by establishing crops in Kenya or Ethiopia. 

An already challenging environment for artisanal florists

While this trend toward the globalization of horticultural production is harmful in many ways to the environment and consumers, florists are also affected by these upheavals. Already hit hard by the pandemic—which led to the closure of 2,000 shops, according to figures from the industry association Val’hor—the recent rise in energy costs is squeezing their profit margins, causing a dramatic increase in per-stem prices, which they must inevitably pass on to the retail price in stores. 

Added to this are the changes in the market, which is seeing the emergence of numerous pure players—online flower retailers that aim to bypass traditional distribution networks by establishing a direct relationship between producers and end consumers, but which cannot avoid energy-intensive transportation to deliver bouquets from their few warehouses to their customers’ homes. 

Finally, online flower delivery platforms have significantly transformed the way the industry operates, as this article in *20 Minutes* points out, by charging excessive commissions and imposing a national catalog of standard bouquets that restricts florists and limits their flexibility in curating their inventory. 

Florists: A Vital Link in Raising Public Awareness

However, images of florists were few and far between in the France 5 report. Far more than just the setting for the unfolding drama, flower shops are miniature reflections of the trends shaping the market. Florists are dependent on distribution channels and do not always have the opportunity to source flowers from local growers—partly becausethe supply of French flowers is declining rapidly (nearly half of all flower farms have disappeared since 2005), and partly because distribution networks still leave much to be desired.

Some florists are taking individual initiatives to try to restore a sense of tact to the act of buying flowers. One example is Marie Ruillard, featured in Hugo Clément’s documentary, a florist at Maison Marguerite in Le Mans and a member of the Sessile collective, which strives by every means to prioritize French-grown flowers and educates customers by indicating the origin of each flower. At the same time, many florists are placing increasing emphasis on eco-friendly practices, starting with the use of recycled packaging and sourcing local flowers. But these individual initiatives have yet to receive the recognition they deserve, despite the efforts of trade associations and the Collectif de la fleur française.  

A group dedicated to supporting the florist profession

Promoting responsible flower consumption cannot, therefore, be done at the expense of florists, who are the only ones capable of ensuring that their customers have a deep understanding of the seasonality and origin of the flowers they purchase. As Gilles Sonnet, a florist in Fontaine-lès-Dijon and member of the Sessile collective: “Unlike other players in the industry, florists are artisans; so it’s not the profit margin that interests us, but a job well done.”

The Sessile collective was founded to support these initiatives. Recognizing that market conditions create economic uncertainty for floral professionals, the collective decided to adopt a model that is fairer to florists, allowing them to set their own prices for bouquets to adjust their margins while charging a lower commission. 

A more equitable model of digitization must therefore become the norm for independent florists. Unlike flower delivery platforms, the Sessile website does not impose a catalog on them; it allows them to showcase their own arrangements, which makes it easier for them to manage purchasing costs and gives them the freedom to offer seasonal and locally sourced flowers. 

By redirecting flower orders to the artisan florists closest to the delivery location, the collective also helps reduce delivery distances and, consequently, the environmental impact of each bouquet. Sessile is now exploring a solution to streamline florists’ supply chains by enabling them to source directly from local growers, thereby limiting market volatility while protecting the industry. Shortening the production chain could, at the same time, help reduce the carbon footprint of each bouquet.

Uniting interests to give florists a voice

Far-reaching changes across the entire industry can only be achieved through a collective effort by all stakeholders, particularly florists. That is why Sessile is calling on all florists eager to bring about profound changes in the sector’s practices to take action, make their voices heard, and envision new futures for the industry. So far, nearly fifty partner florists have responded to the call within twenty-four hours, including Maison Marguerite in Le Mans, Gilles Sonnet in Fontaine-lès-Dijon, and Amour de Fleurs in Bordeaux.

The collective hopes to draft a manifesto that summarizes the various proposals put forward by florists in order to establish a roadmap for its future local sourcing platform, one that takes into account both the realities ofthe flower supply in France and the day-to-day challenges faced by florists. 

Would you like to get involved with our collective to advocate for our profession? We’d love to talk to you about it!