As Valentine's Day approaches, the flower business is anticipating blooming sales despite rising flower prices and a sluggish Thai economy.
Thonglor Kulabsawat, owner of Toi Flower Shop in Bangkok's Phra Nakhon district, which also offers flower arrangement services, is optimistic about this year's Valentine's Day sales.
She said she expects a similar surge to last year.
"I am confident flower sales will be strong this Valentine's Day as orders are increasing," said Ms Thonglor.
Despite the annual hike in flower prices ahead of Valentine's Day, consumers are still willing to purchase them, she said.
The wholesale price of flowers has risen and Ms Thonglor expects prices to peak around Feb 11-14, then drop sharply afterwards.
A single rose currently costs 50 baht, compared with just 15 baht in December 2024.
Moreover, she said the wholesale price for a pack of lilies has jumped from 350-400 baht to 600 baht leading up to Valentine's Day.
For carnations, a pack of 20 now costs 200 baht, up from 120 baht during the majority of the year.
When it comes to her own business, funeral wreaths generally account for 90% of sales, while the other 10% comes from bouquets and vase flowers.
However, on Valentine's Day, bouquets, vase flowers and standalone flower sales account for 90% of overall sales.
Ms Thonglor said she thinks her reasonable pricing strategy ensures her shop is bustling during the Valentine's Day period, even though the shop is in an area that is not popular among young people.
Contemplating the entire year, Ms Thonglor said she had noticed a slight decline in sales, attributed to the emergence of new flower shops in the local market.
In addition, the sluggish economy has made consumers more cautious as many now see flowers as a non-essential purchase.
Ms Thonglor's flower bouquets start from around 500 baht, and she has noticed that people are now tending to prefer lower-priced options as they attempt to stick to a budget.
There is also a notable shift in purchasing habits, with more people buying flowers online.
To adapt to this change, she has developed a website for her shop, allowing people to place orders online.