Tesco sees flower sales bloom after lockdown decline

The supermarket said demand for its premium Finest bouquets has increased 25% on last year.

Flowers on display at MM Flowers in Alconbury, Cambridgeshire, before being made into bouquets for supermarket chain Tesco (Joe Giddens/PA)

Sales of premium bouquets have soared by almost 25% at a UK supermarket, making a comeback after a decline in flower-giving during Covid lockdowns.

Tesco said it has seen demand for flowers increase in the last six months, including by nearly 25% for its top-of-the-range Finest bouquets.

It said this is roughly the equivalent of a half a million more bouquets being bought between April and now versus the same time period last year.

The chain’s main supplier MM Flowers, based in Alconbury in Cambridgeshire, says it is also seeing rising demand, particularly for premium bouquets.

In the last 13 weeks the company has seen volume growth of more than 10% – equal to an increase in orders of more than five million bouquets per annum across its operations.

The company says its latest data also shows consumers are spending more on flowers than they have in the last two years.

Tesco flower buyer Ryan Daley said: “Judging by soaring sales over the last six months, the age of romance is back as Brits lavish their loved ones with beautiful bouquets.

“Flower-giving unfortunately saw a decline during the Covid lockdown period a few years ago – for obvious reasons – and has taken a while to get back to where it was five years ago.

“Not only is flower gifting back but it would appear that many people are making up for lost time, judging by the number of high-quality blooms they are lavishing on family and loved ones right now.”

MM Flowers group product and marketing director Nikki Rider said she is “thrilled to see people recognising the value that flowers bring to homes and the lives of their loved ones”.

The top five most popular Finest range bouquets bought at Tesco during the last six months were:

Fleur Bouquet – a purple premium mix of roses, chrysanthemum blooms and antirrhinums.

Antiqua – an ultra-premium white mix of roses, chrysanthemum blooms and ammi majus.

Rose and Lily Bouquet – a mix of red and cerise roses paired with premium lilies and additional eucalyptus foliage.

Florence Bouquet – premium pink roses mixed with chrysanthemum blooms along with the added texture of eryngium.

Ray Of Sunshine – Cerise roses accompanied by yellow blooms paired with (when in season) British-grown sunflowers.