Rose Price Doubles: Couples Turn To Online Orders This Valentine’s Day

More people are choosing to buy roses online for Valentine's Day instead of purchasing them from local florists. This shift comes as rose prices have increased sharply due to lower arrivals. A single rose now costs between Rs 30 and Rs 40, compared to Rs 15 to Rs 25 last year in Pune, according to a Hindustan Times (HT) report.

Amit Shah, an information technology (IT) professional, shared his experience in the same report, saying, "I work in Hinjewadi and recently got engaged. I preferred to book flowers online as a surprise for my fiancée."

A woman working in an insurance company, who requested anonymity, said, "My family has restrictions, especially on Valentine's Day. My boyfriend lives in another part of the city and since we are planning to marry soon, I booked roses online for him."

Jeevan Nanaware, a wholesale flower trader at the Pune Agriculture Market Committee, explained the price rise. "This year, demand is similar to previous years, and international demand is also high. However, due to lower arrivals, prices have increased. A bundle of 20 roses is selling for Rs 350 to Rs 400 in the wholesale market, making the cost of a single rose between Rs 17 and Rs 20. In the retail market, customers are paying Rs 30 to Rs 40 per flower, depending on quality."

While overall flower sales remain steady, online orders have been growing in recent years. "Many people choose online orders to maintain privacy and avoid conflicts, especially on Valentine's Day. Couples living in different cities and Pune's large student population contribute to this trend. Florists say that nearly 50 per cent of their sales now come from online orders," Nanaware added.

Mukund Thakar, a flower exporter and farmer, highlighted production challenges. "Most rose farming happens in the Maval taluka of Pune and parts of Nashik. This year, unexpected weather conditions affected our planning. We had good rainfall and expected a colder winter, but temperatures did not drop significantly. Normally, roses take 50 to 55 days to grow, but due to high temperatures, flowers were ready by late January, when demand was still low in both domestic and international markets."

"Now, farmers have limited stock but high demand in both markets. Interestingly, domestic prices are higher than international rates this year," Thakar added.

Dilip Kale, another farmer, explained the storage difficulties. "We cannot store flowers for more than eight days. If we have one lakh flowers in storage and receive 50,000 more daily, the stock lasts only two days. This year, farmers had to sell flowers earlier than expected."

Local florist Ajay Mali noted a change in buying habits. "Roses see peak demand in the second week of February. It's not just young couples-many middle-aged people buy them too. However, online orders are increasing rapidly."