The Impact of COVID: Large Bouquets Now Available for Around 1500 Yen – Take Advantage of the Great Deals on Flowers!

2020.04.23 published

As in any industry...

Due to the impact of COVID-19, it seems that flowers are being disposed of as they are not being purchased.

A large portion of flowers in the floral industry are consumed due to special demands such as events, parties, and weddings.

Now that those events are no longer being held...

The flowers that were originally intended to be used have become "lost flowers," being disposed of without ever being shipped.

This situation is not limited to the floral industry; recently, crude oil prices have dropped below production costs, and the prices of fish and wagyu beef have also plummeted in the market due to the halt in purchases by the dining industry. We hear a lot of such stories across various sectors.

(There was even news about supermarket-level bonito being sold at sushi restaurants!)

With many companies going bankrupt due to the impact of COVID-19 being reported in the news, and even those that are not going bankrupt are facing severe cash flow problems...

I have come to think, once again, that to ensure the long-term existence of my favorite shops, brands, and products, "I need to think carefully about where to spend my money."

There’s also the notion of "let's support local independent stores over convenience stores," but ultimately, if a convenience store is a franchise, the owner is a local person, and even the part-time staff are local.

Therefore, in the end, it is not about titles or affiliations; it boils down to the fundamental question of "what do I like? What will satisfy me in the long term?"

I love flowers, so it makes me sad to see them go to waste.

Recently, prices for flowers have dropped, and there are talks of mini bouquets available at supermarkets becoming unbelievably cheap!!

I think this is a great opportunity for more people to start a lifestyle of decorating their homes with flowers＊

<So!>

In this article, I’ll introduce some places where I recently thought, "It might be good to buy flowers here now♡".

① Hibiya Kadan’s Online Shop!

I often receive flowers from Hibiya Kadan located in the nearest station building to my workplace♡

I express it as receiving flowers, not buying them, because I use the flower subscription app "Hana no Hi," which allows me to select flowers within the plan♡

(Isn't it too good that for 15,878 yen, you can receive 6,000 yen worth of flowers six times…?)

However, the Hibiya Kadan store near my house is currently closed, so I thought I couldn’t go get flowers... but then I discovered this service!

(The subscription app for Hana no Hi allows you to not incur costs during the shop's closure... or rather, the period during the closure can be carried over to the future, so it’s reassuring.)

There’s a new service called 【Buyer’s Choice Fresh Delivery】 which is completely online♡

You can roughly choose types like roses or gerberas, and the rest regarding species and colors is left to the recommended selections of the moment♡

It feels wonderful to live in sync with the seasons.

The prices are also reasonable, with 10 roses for 3,300 yen (including tax and shipping!).

Similarly, 10 gerberas are also priced at 3,300 yen, taxes and shipping included!

Since flowers need to be shipped in a refrigerated delivery, the shipping cost can typically be quite high, usually over 1,000 yen, but this pricing is amazing＞＜

Just by ordering from home without going out, flowers arrive and brighten up your room. Isn't that wonderful?♡

➡︎ You can find the sales page here＊＊＊＊＊＊

Hibiya Kadan has also launched an initiative in March stating, "We want to cheer up flower producers..." by selling flowers for 100 yen each＊

The flowers grown by producers in various parts of Japan are precious.

If by buying them I can feel enriched in my heart while lightening someone's burden...

Isn't that a wonderful thing???♡

② Costco

I've loved Costco for about 15 years and have been going regularly, and they also sell flowers!

I haven’t bought them, but at the Costco in Kawasaki that I always visit, flowers are quietly (?) sold at the exit of the vegetable section.

The image of "Costco = flowers" is faint, and I haven't seen many people buying them, but they sell flowers that you’d normally find at flower shops and supermarkets at Costco prices.

Just the other day, a bouquet of this volume was about 1,500 yen.

Carnations are also around 1,000 yen for 20 stems. (This is incredibly cheap...!)

Since becoming a Costco member involves a fee, I’m not sure whether it’s a great deal considering that cost, but for those who make Costco a part of their lives, buying flowers there might be a good choice＊

However, if your goal is to "always want to display flowers," you probably wouldn't go to Costco that frequently...

Moreover, it's also necessary to check whether the flowers at Costco are domestically produced, so if you want to "support domestic producers," it might be slightly off...

But you can definitely get flowers at a bargain.

③ Buy from a local flower shop near home

In my neighborhood, there are several local flower shops just a few minutes' walk away, and they currently have such signs up, with flowers being offered at good prices.

I used to always go to Hibiya Kadan in front of the station, but I’ve been buying flowers from a local shop recently since their store is closed.

It’s been about two years since I moved into my current place, and this was the first time I used that shop, so amidst the impact of COVID-19, I thought this was somewhat a good experience.

The shop seems to be a family-run business, and it’s nice how the old man and old lady talk to my son in a friendly manner, without the corporate feel or sales pressure.

While it’s not super formal service, it’s not cold either, and it felt refreshing to have a straightforward human interaction that’s not rooted in the usual supplier-consumer dynamic that we get conditioned to.

Somehow, it felt comfortable to experience the "customers are not gods" vibe. Can you understand...?

"These roses are blooming already. You can have them for 100 yen each!" they said, and I ended up buying quite a lot.

However, while it's great to have bought a lot at a low price, the selections mainly consisted of standard flowers, lacking unique varieties or wildflowers, which made me realize "Ah, flower shops do have their own unique characteristics!"

(I thought it was normal to have various flowers at Hibiya Kadan, but apparently, that's not the case!)

Having even one flower makes a big difference♡

"I don't really know how to arrange flowers, but just having them around makes me feel happy, right???"

"That's true."

"Flowers are obviously not essentials but luxury items, but the air in the room feels completely different with them around, doesn’t it???"

"Really! It used to be so bare before."

This is often a conversation I have with my husband at home.

Until recently, buying flowers felt like a high barrier, and living without flowers was the norm for us.

Flowers seemed expensive, and I thought buying them was a waste of money... but once I started decorating even a little with flowers, the ambiance brightened up, and I felt happier, making them an indispensable part of my daily life♡

(Even when we eat dinner at home, having flowers on the table makes it feel like a restaurant experience＊)

It’s sad to see flowers, which were supposed to be lovingly grown, go to waste 😢

Now that flowers are becoming affordable, it’s the perfect chance to start a life with flowers♡

Staying home means you get to enjoy the sight of the flowers longer, so it’s a good deal!

With the intention of supporting, whether online, at supermarkets, or local flower shops, how about buying a few flowers for home?

Wouldn't it be wonderful to establish a new habit of choosing "this week’s flowers" every week?

<＊Notice＊>

The Mother's Day gifts from marry are also made with a focus on domestic flowers♡ Please take a look♡

You can find the Mother's Day gift introduction page from marry here＊＊＊