Historically, Valentine’s Day has us all seeing red. Red roses and red vases, with a little pink and white thrown in for good measure, are always safe bets and most certainly cater to the traditional Valentine’s Day shopper.

Baby boomers still represent the lion’s share of those who are willing to spend their cash for this holiday, and all indications suggest that this group will bring us modest increases in 2015 for purchases of flowers and vases. However, if you want a chance of seeing significant increases in your Valentine’s sales figures, you will need to step out of the box, and cater to new groups of buyers who will spend money in your flower shop, as long as you can speak their language.

Millennials are the next generation of spenders. At last count they are 90 million strong and form the largest demographic wave in the history of our nation. This group is an expressive group, and its members like to make purchases that deliver a message and tell a story. They don’t want to be traditional, they are more frugal and they focus on value. They do want to buy flowers and vases for Valentine’s Day, but they are not going to spend what their predecessors spent and they aren’t going to send what their predecessors sent. If you want their business, you will need to offer smaller vased bouquets at lower price points. Millennials love vibrant colors — colors that pop and convey a myriad of messages, not just the message of love. Remember, this generation marries later in life. They aren’t always courting, but they sure do flirt a lot. Think fun, not romance, provide value, and you will win them over.

Almost 70 percent of consumers want to bring green into their homes. This group is often referred to as eco-iconic, eco-superior, or DIYs. They are typically urbanites, value buying locally, want organics and believe in protecting the environment. If your vases are made in the United States, let your customer know. Four out of five shoppers will opt for domestically made product. Catering to this group’s desire to be green isn’t that hard. Those glass vases you are selling are the most eco-friendly vessels on the planet. Glass vases are made from 100 percent organic material, and discarded glassware is the most highly sought after recyclable material.

For this group of eco-conscious consumers, Valentine’s Day doesn’t always have to be about roses and vases. Terrariums make an excellent alternative and expression of love. Shake up your floral department this year by offering small houseplants and succulents, along with the appropriate terrarium material, and create some new green for your cash register.

Last but not least are the vintage buyers. This is one consumer trend most of us thought would fade. Vintage appeals to those hopeless romantics who value the memories and feel of times gone by. At least for now, the vintage movement isn’t going anywhere soon, and is still considered trendy. The demand for vintage jars and cameo colors such as white, pink and soft golds is peaking, not fading. New on the vintage horizon are vessels in shades of purple that, by the way, look great with a bouquet of red roses. Now that’s something all consumer groups can agree on.

Valentine’s Day shoppers in 2014 spent an estimated $17.3 billion on their loved ones. Flowers rank third on the list of Valentine gift options. Moving up the ladder of choices will require us to learn the new languages of our changing consumers.

Kelvin Frye is the director of sales and marketing at Syndicate Sales in Kokomo, IN. He can be contacted at 765/457-7277 or at [email protected].