CLEVELAND — Before you stop and smell the roses this Mother’s Day, you might want to stop and check the price tag as economic experts warn it could cost a few more bucks.
Flower bunches are in full bloom at Urban Orchid, where Brandon Sitler is leading his team in creating custom floral designs for mom across northeast Ohio.
“We get all of our roses from Ecuador. So I would say that, like, I'd say like 70% of our flowers are from international,” Sitler said.
The shop carried a variety of flowers, most of which come from overseas. This is the case for most flower shops around the country as more than 80% of flowers sold in the U.S. are grown abroad. As President Donald Trump’s 10% tariff remains on all U.S. imports, Sitler said, these rose petals might come with a higher price this holiday.
“The markup on floral is already high,” he said. “Floral is a luxury item, and when you start to add the tariffs on to it, it starts to price people out of being able to afford florals.”
Still, Sitler isn’t the only one with an eye for Ecuadorian roses.
Christopher Stevanus, manager of 12th Street Florist, said the impact of the import tax expands beyond prices, and is taking a toll on overall business.
“Last year, we were averaging about $150 an order that would be between flowers, candy, or if they chose a gift item,” Stevanus said. “I think our average right now is right around a $100.”
Some economic experts blame the decreased spending on uncertainty that extends beyond bouquets.
“Same thing with bringing in nice European chocolate from Switzerland or Belgium, things like that. If we have these additional tariffs in place, most of that is getting passed along to the end consumer in terms of costs,” said Jonathon Ernest who is an assistant professor at Case Western Reserve University.
Ernest, who teaches in the Weatherhead School of Management, said stores are likely to see a pullback in purchases nationwide.
“The law of demand tells us that the higher the price goes for the same product, the fewer of it that people are willing to buy,” Ernest said.
Stevanus said the store was able to dodge a significant price hike this Mother’s Day as many of their florals were ordered in advance.
Moving forward, Stevanus said the store will do its best to meet customer’s needs.
“We can't afford to really eat the whole tariff. We would split it with the customer, probably, because it's not fair to the customer either.
Regardless of what the future holds, Sitler said Urban Orchid will be around to help customers cultivate their own creations and bring some color to Mother’s Day celebrations.
“Your mom's going to love anything you get. Anything from Urban Orchid is going to be beautiful and your mom's going to love it,” Sitler said.
