Valentine’s Day 2016 falls on a Sunday for the first time since 1999. History teaches us that sales fall within a three-day period. When the holiday falls on a Sunday, consumers’ purchasing patterns may change, yet chances are you will see your strongest sales on Saturday, Feb. 13.

Since Valentine’s Day purchases are usually impulsive, coming out on top takes advance planning and professionalism. You need the right amount of quality products and selection to set yourself apart from your competition.

Following are some tips to maximize holiday sales and reduce stress. Remember, your top priority on Friday, Saturday and Sunday will be your customers and you need to be in a position to do suggestive selling and also have some fun.

Week of Jan. 24-30

Kathy HessionYour department should be deep-cleaned and decorated. All hard goods should be on display. Don’t forget to check for leftover back stock from last year — picks, containers, plush, etc. Displays should be big, bold and fun.  

Schedule a meeting with your store director to discuss things like extra out-of-department display space and additional help on Friday, Saturday and Valentine’s Day Sunday — critical to maximizing sales.

Ask for a special checkout lane on Saturday and Sunday and plan to utilize a high-traffic area in the store to create a cross-merchandised Valentine’s Day display. The display should include upgraded plants (add flowers closer to the holiday) and balloons, with signage reminding customers to visit the floral department. Cross-merchandise candy, greeting cards, plush, cakes, chocolate-dipped strawberries and wine to start customers thinking about Valentine’s Day.

Check to see that you have placed a supply order to ensure you have sufficient quantities of preservatives, tape, containers, bouquet sleeves and care tags, as well as holiday balloons and extra helium.

Plan to set up additional wrapping stations near or within the floral department for the overflow of customers.

Week of Jan. 31-Feb. 6

Complete prep work early this week including cleaning and sanitizing buckets for incoming deliveries. Clean display coolers.

Make up delivery boxes and pre-cut wrapping paper and place tissue between the sheets, stapling preservative packets to rose care tags.

Fill water tubes for single stem roses — no single rose should leave a store without a water tube.

Finish bows and cut balloon ribbon.

Display signage encouraging early orders with a few arrangements and balloons so your customers can see some of the offerings you will have. Don’t be afraid to have a lavish arrangement on display with a price tag of $75-$100 along with your $30 arrangements.

All potted plants need to be lavishly upgraded as they arrive.

Check to verify all of your orders from your warehouse and suppliers are on schedule.

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

Valentine’s Day Week

Sunday and Monday

Check to see all prep work has been completed.

All lavish upgrading of plants needs to be completed by the end of Monday.

Tuesday

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

Check on special orders. Mark a calendar noting daily orders that are/will be due.

Wednesday

Balloon blow-up day. Remember, balloons bring 55-65 percent gross profit and balloon bouquets bring even higher profit.

Have one last meeting with your team to go over expectations.

All arrangements not containing roses should be completed today.

Start displaying Valentine mixed bouquets today and display only a few roses. Roses will need to be put away tonight in a backup cooler to preserve their quality.  

Set up your auxiliary wrapping station.

Thursday

Complete all rose arrangements today.

Display coolers should be full.

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

Roses should be put away tonight in your backup cooler.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday

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

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

Now is the time to build your large rose displays and roses can remain on the floor from this point forward.

Check out storage coolers to see that all products are on the sales floor by 6 a.m. Saturday. You do not want to find cases of roses in backup coolers on Sunday.

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

Be sure your buckets of flowers are not packed too tightly in order to prevent molding.

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

Valentine’s Day is a personal holiday and flowers are an emotional purchase, so your customers’ satisfaction is of paramount importance. These satisfied customers are likely to return to you for their floral needs the rest of the year.

Kathy Hession is president of KM Enterprises LLC in Payson, AZ. She can be contacted at [email protected].