The Stakes: Hit by import tariffs, florists try not to pass higher costs on to consumers

This story is part of “The Stakes,” a UC Berkeley Journalism project on executive orders and actions affecting Californians and their communities.

Elizabeth Wardman has owned a Rockridge flower shop for 10 years and has seen product prices fluctuate during that time. 

But she’s worried about the impact new tariffs on imports could have on her business. 

In the summer, Wardman gets 75% of the flowers for her shop, Wisteria Rockridge, from local farmers and the rest are imported from Columbia and Ecuador. In the winter, the percentage flips, and she gets most of her flowers from South America, where it is summer.

Those imports have gotten more expensive since President Donald Trump imposed a 10% global tariff on imports in April. For products from Ecuador, the tariff recently was increased to 15% — more than double what it was last year. 

That means the chrysanthemums, Moab roses, and pretty purple anemones that Wardman needs are more expensive.

For example, Wardman buys roughly 12 bunches of anemones to get through summer, fall and early winter. At $22 a bunch, the price is $3.50 per bunch higher this year than last, costing Wardman an additional $42. The number varies depending on the season and demand.

“It’s a popular item in the shop,” Wardman said. 

The same story applies to chrysanthemums, which have increased by $1, to $6.50 a bunch. Wardman buys about 30 bunches.

Florists are watching the market. More than 85% of the fresh-cut flowers sold in the U.S. are imported, primarily from Columbia and Ecuador, said Elizabeth Daly, spokesperson for the Society of American Florists. 

Any increased costs typically are passed on to retail florists, who then raise prices for customers. Wardman said she has been absorbing the increase for a while but doesn’t know how long she can keep that up before charging customers more.

Even before tariffs, flower costs for wholesale vendors were rising because of inflation and extreme weather, Daly said.

“Tariffs are making it even more difficult,” she added.

Unlike eggs, which consumers reluctantly have paid higher prices for, flowers are not a necessity. Florists try to price their products with that in mind.

“It’s definitely an optional purchase,” said Alex Cuautle, a Concord resident who works in Oakland. He’s been buying flowers at Wisteria four or five times a year for the last five years. 

“If the price goes up, then I’ll just pick them myself in the wild because it’s free,” Cuautle said. 

Wardman counts on loyal customers like Cuautle. For most small businesses, community support makes a tangible difference. On Mother’s Day 2020, neighbors lined up to buy flowers and support Wisteria.

“I mean, you kind of had to be there, but it was just the outpouring of support,” Wardman said. “It was just really heartwarming — they were trying to keep my business afloat.”

Strong sales outlook

Despite the tariffs and uncertainty, the industry’s sales outlook is rather optimistic. According to a May survey by the Society of American Florists, more than 1 in 4 U.S. customers say they plan to buy more often.

The market is expected to grow 7% in the next decade, according to a September analyst’s report by Transparency Market Research, which pointed to e-commerce and better supply chains as reasons why more flowers are being sold. 

To make up for higher prices, florists are planning earlier and leaning on strong relationships with vendors, Daly said. And they’re keeping costs down by offering customers alternatives to more expensive varieties. Instead of anemones for a wedding, she said, a florist might suggest poppies.

But buying early or when the market is favorable isn’t an option for florists because flowers are perishable, Wardman noted.

“The situation is depressing, concerning, and stressful,” she said. “Nobody knows what’s coming.”

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