Hi, I’m Merel van den Burg and I’ve been in the floral industry for more than 25 years, both as a florist and a stylist. I’m the Commercial Manager of Florismartdirect, a platform where we offer everything for the professional florist to run their business.
I spend every day at the heart of the flower industry in Holland, in direct contact with growers and the purchasing side of the business, so I’m well placed to spot emerging trends first-hand. I also follow high-fashion trends, interior magazines and social media from diverse areas for news and inspiration. Every year I work out four upcoming trends based on what I’ve seen, and I’d love to share these with you!
Here's my interpretation of four key industry trends to inspire you. Enjoy!
TRENDS IN GENERAL – make them your own.
My advice is, use trends but make them your own. You can use them in products in a way that you feel comfortable. Maybe you are already using some in a certain way. You can paint a wall in your shop or decorate a certain area, to highlight a trend. When highlighting a trend, always present enough of it to make an impact. Never be afraid to present a lot of the same, that works!
TREND 1: COLOUR
Colour affect your mood; hence brighter colours are more popular since the pandemic.
We’re daring to use more colour and as florists, we should be delighted, as there are so many beautiful, coloured products available. 80s-style colours are back in fashion, especially ‘Mix & Match’ with dried flowers and foliage, as are colourful seasonal flowers like Tulips, Ranunculus, Peonies and Narcissi.
Colour-treated items are also more on-trend, whether you like them or not! The younger generation look differently at these types of products so we shouldn’t dismiss this trend.
Use colour and you will see that your customers love it.
COLOUR = HAPPINESS x TO DARE x USING SEASONAL ITEMS
Trend 2: GREEN / SUSTAINABLE
This has been a hot topic for some time and is extremely popular. Green coloured flowers and natural-looking products like ornamental grasses, Lepidium, and new natural-looking products like Scuttelaria give customers who are attracted to this, a good feeling. It seems that younger customers are also attracted to these types of products and as many of us started working from home, houseplants have also become more popular.
You can also be more sustainable by the way you use your packaging. Do you use paper or recycled products or none at all (see #nakedbouquets)? If you do use recycled packaging, make sure you promote this and your customers know about it.
Another way to be more sustainable is to know your grower. How? In Holland, we have MPS – environmental certification. This inspires and stimulates growers to operate and grow as sustainably as possible. Growers can receive certification if they are operating to certain standards and most good growers are MPS certified. If you want to know more about this go to www.my-mps.com to see what the criteria are and find a list of growers who are certified.
Choose these growers when ordering your flowers.
GREEN TREND = PRODUCTS x PACKAGING x SUSTAINABLE GROWERS
TREND 3: BLACK
Black has been a style trend for some time now. Dark coloured interiors in all sorts of styles, black products like pampas and dark shades in fashion and hairstyles. All of these have made this trend more acceptable to consumers. It replaces the gold trend and suits minimalist as well as opulent styles, maybe surprisingly, but it also gives a luxurious feel.
Dare to use black. Looking ahead to Christmas, black makes a great combo with a bit of gold.
BLACK = LUXURIOUS x EXCITING x TREND FOR CHRISTMAS
TREND 4: SCENTED & TRAILING
Trailing bouquets are making a comeback, and scented and trailing go hand in hand. If you follow social media you’ve probably spotted this at well-known wedding florists, where there’s a trend for bigger and bolder wedding bouquets. Your customer who is finally getting married wants a luxury feel! I think it’s fabulous because as a florist you can now really show your skills. We are also seeing trailing in the hanging plant trend. String of pearls has had a great comeback for example.
Trailing bouquets work perfectly with scented garden roses. Your customer will remember you and the product more when you use scented flowers; every time they smell the scent, they will associate it with their special day. That’s great marketing! There are a lot of scented flowers on the market; garden roses, Freesia, Lily of the Valley, Syringa and so many more to complement this trend. Organize a scented flower bar where your customers can choose their scented flower bouquet. Springtime is perfect for this, you could use Hyacinths, Narcissi, Syringa, or stocks, to name a few. A great opportunity to share this trend and attract customers.
SCENTED & TRAILING = SKILLS x LUXURIOUS x COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER
Brought to you by our new Corporate Partner Florismartdirect. For more information visit their Partner Profile Florismartdirect Corporate Partners | Floristry Trade Club.
