Accredited as a quick pickup for our customers and the cornerstone of the retail flower shop, the bouquet line in our stores continues to hold center stage. The in-your-face consumer bunch displays and enticing bouquet case relentlessly perform their role as the largest sales category in the business, and the largest profit builder of all perishable categories.

In category management terms, bunches and bouquets evoke the fresh perception of the entire store, and boldly hold court as the flagship category within the floral department.

Cindy HanauerWithout doubt, rose bouquets and consumer bunches have held the position of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” with dyes being the most significant change in these sub-categories. In addition, chrysanthemums, mini-carnations and standard carnations continue to pick up the pace after a few lethargic years.

Conversely, mixed bouquets have carried the creative weight of the fresh-cut category with ever-changing styles, colors and textures. Here is the “haute couture de fleur” of 2016 bouquet fashion:

• Monochromatic Plus. Monochromatic-plus bouquets will continue to strut the runway in 2016 by including green textural components to monochromatic flower bunches such as kale, succulents, eucalyptus, green trick, hypericum, safari sunset or trachellium.

• Ombré. Taking its cue from the runway, ombré is the gradual blending of one color hue to another. Bouquet fashion for 2016 will include ombré bunches, mixing individual bunches in assorted shades of whites, ivories, peach, pink, purples or yellows.

• Draping. In the same way that draping is used in fashion to create a long, flowing effect, greens will be used in a more stylized way to create a draping effect around the circumference of a bouquet. Soft bouquets will be draped with strong, bold greens such as seeded eucalyptus, hanging amaranthus or silver dollar eucalyptus.

• Metallics and Jewels. The most fashionable bouquets will be bedazzled in jewels and metallics, ranging from rose gold to coppers and everything in between. Boho brooch stems will be on trend, as well as painted metallic greens and thistle.

• Wrapping It Up. Wrapping up the 2016 fashion show are bouquet wraps that take on a natural flair, ranging from coffee bags, bejeweled burlap, natural fibers and eco-friendly kraft papers. The trendiest hand-wrapped bouquets, normally bound by rubber bands, will be instead bound with natural materials such as tightly-bound twine, raffia and flex wraps.

Indeed, the 2016 bouquet catwalk will be filled with jtrends ranging from shade and texture contrasts to the opposing factors between jeweled metallics and natural fibers. The good news is that there will be fashion for everyone and selections in many styles. With the bouquet category being at the top of the sales and profit hierarchy, the opportunities to inspire additional sales and evoke the fresh perception of the store will never be better.

Cindy Hanauer is owner at Grand Central Floral in Jacksonville, FL. She can be reached at 844-MYFLORAL (844/693-5672) or 904/327-1951 or [email protected].