EL PASO, Texas ( KTSM ) – An El Paso florist said a fluctuating economy and inflation have been making what is usually one of her busiest and strongest times of the year into something more challenging.
Miriam Meneses, owner and designer for flower shop Life in Bloom, says she is facing challenges because of the economy and is seeing customers less inclined to purchase higher quality flowers this Valentine’s Day season.
“However, this year, I do see a lower amount of sales due to inflation. So now clients are more inclined to shop for flowers maybe at retail stores such as Albertsons or other places,” Meneses said.
Meneses has been operating her flower shop for five years and at one point was leasing space for her shop. However, she said that with continuing rising supply costs, she had to scale back down to a home-based operation.
Life in Bloom provides premium quality roses from Ecuador which appear more vibrant and last longer, Meneses said. This, however, requires her to order roses in bulk from wholesalers ahead of time with a fixed cost and no guarantee that she’ll make a profit.