With over 85 million moms in the United States, chances of having a successful Mother’s Day are on your side. With advanced planning and flawless execution, this high-pressure holiday can easily bring optimum sales.

According to the National Federation of Retailers, Mother’s Day accounts for about one-fourth of yearly holiday floral sales. In 2014 it said 66.6 percent of those celebrating Mother’s Day bought mom flowers, spending a total of $2.3 billion.  

Kathy HessionFresh flowers accounted for 69 percent of the sales; outdoor gardening captured 33 percent; blooming plants 26 percent; and foliage 14 percent. In order to focus on the proper marketing plan, you need to remember, 41.4 percent of these sales were less than $30, while 27 percent were over $50. In total, 68.5 percent of your sales could fall into these two price ranges.

With the average spend of $162.94 on mom in 2014 there is presently nothing on the horizon that would notably change these figures for 2015.

No matter how hard you try, you cannot achieve a competitive edge unless you have a plan that details a week-by-week, and then a day-by-day, task list. Remember, there are only five weeks between Easter and Mother’s Day. The purpose of this plan is to help keep your retail team (and you) focused and on track.

Week of April 5

Remove Easter décor and update department to reflect Mother’s Day. Remember, many of your pastel containers may work for Mother’s Day.

Create your theme for the holiday.

Schedule a meeting with your store director to finalize where and when you will have extra out-of-department display space. This is also a good time to confirm what additional help will be available. If some of your holiday help comes from other departments, it would help to schedule them the week before the holiday for a short training session. 

Additional help on Friday, Saturday and Mother’s Day Sunday is critical to achieving your sales. 

Check to see that you have placed a supply order to ensure you have sufficient quantities of tape, containers, bouquet sleeves, care tags, etc. 

Week of April 12

This week will be the last opportunity to deep clean and organize your department prior to the holiday. Leave task lists for you team so this can be completed quickly and easily. 

Check old inventory of Mother’s Day merchandise that can be used this season. You will not want to pack it away for another year. Your entire department should reflect the coming holiday.

Display signage encouraging early orders, with a few Mother’s Day arrangements and balloons, so your customers can see some of the offerings you will have. Be sure you have selections that include $30 to $50 price points.

Meet with your floral team and layout the plans for the holiday. Allow your team to become involved by assigning tasks that they will be responsible for over the next three weeks.

Week of April 19

This is the perfect week to lay out your plans for your upgrading. Upgrading for this holiday should be lavish. Get all of your bows made, make boxes, fill water tubes, cut balloon ribbons, make signs for all of your displays, etc.

Begin soaking oasis if you will be making fresh arrangements. Pre-green containers (including vases) by setting up a production line. This format will allow you complete this project quickly. Keep the containers filled with water and stored in a backup cooler. If you rack these containers, cover the rack with a black plastic bag (that has been split open) to help retain the moisture. Check the container every few days and add water as necessary.

As you receive deliveries of plants, they should be upgraded before placing them on display.

Week of April 26

This is the week to go over your final plans for next week to see everything is done.

Check schedules to see you will be properly covered next week.

If you are scheduled to setup outdoor bedding displays, this is the week to setup your display and make signs, prior to your delivery. Check your delivery schedule and be sure you have staff to complete this project. Who did you make responsible for this task? 

Have you scheduled your mini training class for the additional help you may have? 

Showing them how to wrap flowers and plants, as well as processing deliveries, will make things much easier next week. 

Reiterate the importance of not filling buckets too tightly with fresh flowers. Over packing can cause molding.

Discuss acknowledging the customer with a friendly smile.

Explain how to upsell.

Set expectations for the number of arrangements you will have completed by Thursday of next week? Is all pre-greening completed?

Check to verify all your orders (from your warehouse or local supplier) are on schedule.

Push preorders this weekend.

Set up your out-of-department displays and refill as needed throughout next week.

Mother’s Day Week

Sunday/Monday

Refill all in-and-out-of-department displays as needed.

All upgrading of plants needs to be completed today.

Last chance for additional pre-greening.

Organize outdoor product.

Tuesday

Balloon blow-up day. Who is in charge?

Start filling your pre-greened containers with flowers. Set up a production line.

Process deliveries quickly.

Check on special orders. Mark a calendar noting daily orders as they are due.

Wednesday

See that your department reflects the best you have to offer.

One last meeting with your team to go over expectations.

Process orders quickly.

Two-thirds of your arrangements should be completed today.   

Thursday

Complete all arrangements by end of day. Display coolers should be full.

Check balloons to see if they need additional helium.

In-and-out of department displays should filled during the day and refilled before the last person leaves this evening.

The person closing tonight should see that all displays are filled and department is ready for business tomorrow.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday

These three days will make you realize why organization and planning were important. This is the time to sell, sell, sell and have fun with your customers.

Departments should be set and ready for business as early as 7 a.m. on Friday and 6 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Traffic should be heavy Friday and out of control Saturday and early Sunday.

Schedule as much help as possible. Do you have late coverage scheduled?

Check out storage coolers to see that all products are on the sales floor.

Out-of-department displays should be refilled and have additional fresh flowers added. 

Check what special orders go out over the next three days. Fill these orders daily.

Be sure your buckets of flowers are not packed too tightly —this will prevent molding.

The closing team should see that the department and out-of-department displays are full before going home. 

Kathy Hession is retired vice president of floral and bakery at Roundy’s Supermarkets in Milwaukee. She can be contacted at [email protected].