The movement to establish Women’s Day on March 8 as a floral holiday is gathering steam. Lane DeVries, head of Sun Valley Group in Arcata, CA, offered in-store promotional materials to retailers at the recent International Floriculture Expo, and told The Produce News in early September that a half-dozen or so supermarket chains will be using the materials in 2013.

With new emphasis on cause-related marketing, many floral industry companies ranging from growers to bouquet makers, retailers and online floral firms are offering special products for Breast Cancer Awareness month in October that benefit research into the disease.

Bay City Flower Co. in Half Moon Bay, CA, is new to the cause this year with four pink hydrangea and azalea products that will forward 3 percent of proceeds to breast cancer research at the American Cancer Society.

The Florida Nursery, Growers & Landscape Association will partner with OFA, the association of horticulture professionals and the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) to plan and promote the 2013 TPIE Short Course, FNGLA officials said in a statement.

The Short Course will be held during FNGLA’s Tropical Plant Industry Exhibition Jan. 23-25 in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

“In an ever-changing industry environment,” the statement said, “FNGLA, OFA and PLANET embrace the benefits of working together to deliver extraordinary educational opportunities for all of their members.”

Two well-known wholesale floral distributors joined forces as of Oct. 1, according to a Sept. 14 news release. Kennicott Bros. Co. and Vans Floral Products, both headquartered in the Chicago area, will merge operations, with Kennicott acquiring most of the assets of Vans.

Fair Trade floral sales worldwide were up 11 percent last year, with more than 350,000 flowers and plants sold, according to Fairtrade International. This year marks the fifth anniversary of the introduction of Fair Trade flowers to the United States.

The withdrawal of the U.S. affiliate from the international Fair Trade group continued to stir concern last year, but apparently did not affect flower sales here, according to one of the three licensed Fair Trade flower importers in this country.

Specialty cut-flower growers, many of whom sell their products at farmers markets around the country, are taking the “buy local” movement seriously. The group is holding its national conference and trade show Nov. 12-14 in Tacoma, WA.