Flower prices skyrocket amid low retail sales

The price of flowers skyrocketed on Monday all thanks to the joyous occasion of Pohela Falgun and Valentine's Day, a time when the demand for flowers grows significantly. However, the sales volume was significantly low on the retailers' end. 

The flower retailers of the country are bearing the brunt of the price hike in the wholesale market.

Both the wholesale and retail flower markets in the capital's Agargaon have seen a fewer number of buyers compared to other years. Many of the customers found the price of flowers to be shockingly high.

Photo: TBS

Shahadat Hossain, treasurer of Agargaon Wholesale Flower Market, told TBS that flower prices in the retail market have been more than double this year compared to other years.

"There are about 150 retail flower shops in this area. We have fixed the sales target of this year at Tk5 crore, which used to be Tk2-3 crore earlier," he added.

Photo: TBS

Customer Abul Khair was dumbfounded when the florist asked Tk2,500 for a flower bouquet of only eight roses.

"Last year on the same day, I bought roses at Tk40-50 each but today the price has jumped to Tk120 for each rose," Abul Khair told TBS.

Flower buyer Nesar Ahmed Dulal said that he could buy only one rose this year whereas he usually buys more flowers on this day.

Photo: TBS

Admitting to the overprice, Flower Zone florist Md Alauddin said, "Previously, we used to collect per piece rose at Tk2-3 from the wholesale market but this year it was sold at Tk12-15. Thus, local and foreign roses today are being sold at Tk50 and Tk80-100 each respectively." 

"The sales on these days go up to Tk60,000-70,000 every year," noted Alauddin adding that he fears this year the sales might not even cross half of the regular target.

Photo: TBS

Another florist Md Sayem said the price has tripled compared to other years.

"We invested Tk50,000 this year but got a lot less flowers than we usually would," he added.