Headlines

Senate Drops Immigration Bill

Floral industry members hoping for a resolution to the country's immigration debate will have to wait. Last week the Senate failed to agree on the amendments attached to a reform bill, stalling the effort.

"The Senate couldn't reach agreement on how many amendments to debate, and several hundred were filed, nor could they agree on the complex substance of the amendments themselves" says SAF Senior Director of Government Relations Jeanne Ramsay.

The bill in question, S. 1348, was one that SAF supported because it was "comprehensive" in nature, Ramsay says. "Although last week's effort failed, we are hopeful Republicans can come to an agreement on amendments and the debate can resume, so the bill can move forward to the House and to conference."

"The labor shortage continues," she says, "so labor-intensive industries, including the floral industry, will continue to suffer before Congress is likely to revisit immigration reform."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) left open the possibility of coming back to the immigration reform bill again, but it is still unclear if that will happen.

Early on the morning of June 8, several key senators involved in negotiations held a press conference stating their desire to move forward before the July 4 recess. Sens. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Arlen Specter (R-Pa), Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), were among the speakers. Senator Graham was adamant that the Senate would vote on comprehensive immigration reform, signaling that their efforts at compromise are not over.

SAF's position is that the nation's immigration system is broken and in need of comprehensive reform. Ramsay and Lin Schmale, also a senior director of government relations at SAF, have lobbied for reform along with SAF members, the Bush administration and members of Congress from both sides of the aisle.

In a conference call with supporters of immigration reform, including SAF, Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez pledged the Bush administration's support for continued efforts toward comprehensive reform. He also stressed the need for one reform effort, versus industry-specific efforts, such as AgJOBS, an agriculture-reform bill SAF has long supported.

For its part, "SAF will continue to urge Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to find agreement on amendments and to find time in the Senate schedule to bring the bill up again for consideration before the July 4th recess," Ramsay says.  "The status quo is unacceptable, and the chance to fix the broken system is still within reach."

Read May 16th's Week in Review article on the immigration reform bill.

--Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org

 
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USDA Reconsiders Horticulture Census

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently decided its Census of Horticultural Specialties should be conducted more frequently. The census provides statistics on several agricultural segments, including floral and nursery, and will serve as a follow-up to the USDA's Census of Agriculture, which surveys the state of the entire agriculture industry. The Census of Horticulture survey provides vital details about the state of the industry, but it hasn't been conducted for 10 years. It will now be conducted in 2009 and 2014.

Ira Silvergleit, SAF's director of Research and Information, is a member of the USDA's Advisory Committee on Agricultural Statistics, which made the recommendation to conduct the Census of Horticulture Specialties on a more regular basis.

During the group's meeting on May 2 and May 3, Silvergleit says the committee also decided to change how it addresses the floriculture and nursery segments in its Census of Agriculture. In order collect more detailed information about the floriculture industry, the proposed Census of Agriculture (to be conducted in 2008) will once again distinguish between individual producer segments: cut flowers, potted flowering plants, foliage, and bedding and garden plants.

Previously, the Census of Agriculture grouped floriculture and nursery segments together in one figure -- a practice which caused a "serious void in data about our industry," says Silvergleit.

"This effort is absolutely important because [the results of the census] will help us understand [flowers and plants] being produced, so that companies can adjust their marketing plans accordingly," says Lin Schmale, SAF's senior director of government relations. "It also will help us more effectively present the overall value of our industry to agriculture, which is important when lobbying for increased research funding."

--Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org

 
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Gas Prices Fall for First Time Since January

Florists who have been sweating over the amount they shell out on gas for deliveries are finally experiencing (a little) relief.

The national average gas price has dropped 7 cents in the last three weeks -- the first decline since the start of 2007, according to a nationwide survey released Sunday (as reported by the Associated Press). Prices, however, are still up 93 cents from January.

The U.S. average for self-serve, regular grade gasoline was $3.11 as of last Wednesday, down from $3.18 in the last national survey May 18, said oil industry analyst Trilby Lundberg to the AP. The average gas price for last summer was $2.84, according to the Energy Information Administration.

The drop is due to a boost in imports of gasoline from foreign producers, lured by record-high prices. Lundberg told the AP that the previous rise in price was caused by refineries experiencing setbacks, such as mechanical failures, and scheduled upgrades. Because of this, they were not able to produce gasoline fast enough to meet consumer demand.

Read about how florists dealt with high gas prices for Mother's Day deliveries. Find the lowest gas prices in your area.

--Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org

 
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Trends

Consumers Want to Save the Earth, Save Time, Splurge on Color

Hot gardening trends for 2007 can be summed up in three words: easy, colorful and eco-friendly...  Oh, and did we mention "easy"?

"Rather than planting a mass of bedding, [consumers] are using [bedding plants] in containers more than in the ground -- it's an instant garden," says Bruce Butterfield, National Gardening Association's Market Research Director. "Or they are buying planters that are already planted -- just move them to the deck and you're done."

Bill Gouldin of Strange's Florist and Garden Center in Richmond, Va., agrees. Gouldin's customers increasingly buy pre-planted pots and planters, as well as low-maintenance annuals such as begonias and impatiens.

"The next generation of buyers is not as inclined to work in the garden," he says. "They want to buy things that are already planted for them and not get their hands dirty... Gardeners in general are looking to get the biggest showing for their money, and the easiest [plants] to care for."

Here are some other garden trend tips from experts on the frontline:

Color Fever. Trust fund fashionistas and jailbird blond heiresses aren't the only people who should pay attention to high-fashion trends: The runway also is an excellent indication of what consumers will be looking to buy from you this season, says Paul Bachman of Bachmans in Minneapolis. "Gardening is following fashion trends," he says. "Color is really hot ... and now really vibrant-colored flowers are popular. [Consumers] are moving towards blocks of intense color." Bob Aykens of Memorial Florist and Greenhouses in Appleton, Wis., singles out orange as a "popular color" for his business this summer.

Green Machines. "Green" gardening is another "important trend" for floral industry members to be aware of, Butterfield says. While eco-awareness has been on the rise for 10 to 15 years, Bachman says movies such as "An Inconvenient Truth" as well as increased media attention have "really motivated people to do something." In fact, Bachman estimates sales of eco-friendly products, such as natural insect repellants and solar bird-baths, have increased 20 percent this season. In Appleton, Aykens says he is getting "a lot more requests" for organic fertilizers and insect sprays.

Find out more about eco-friendly business practices florists are using in the July issue of Floral Management magazine.

--Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org

 
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Organized Retail Crime Increases

Organized retail crime, which includes infractions from identity theft to shoplifting, is getting worse, despite the fact that awareness of the problem is at an all-time high, according to a new survey by the National Retail Federation (NRF).

"Despite retailers' best efforts, organized retail crime continues to proliferate in stores around the country," says NRF Vice President of Loss Prevention Joseph LaRocca. "Organized retail crime rings are sophisticated and smart, but with the partnerships created between retailers and law enforcement agencies, retailers have a real chance at stopping these criminals dead in their tracks."

Nearly 80 percent of respondents said their company has been a victim of organized retail crime within the past year. The survey also found that one out of 10 retailers spends more than $1 million dollars annually on organized retail crime prevention. Other highlights from the survey include:

 • 71 percent of retailers have noticed an increase in organized retail theft activity in the past year, up from 48 percent in 2006. 

• 61 percent of retailers have identified or recovered stolen merchandise from a fence location (such as a pawn shop), up from 59 percent last year. About 71 percent have recovered stolen merchandise from an online operation, up from 67 percent last year. 

• Almost 60 percent of retailers said their company's top management understands the issue, compared to 41 percent in 2006.

Read the full survey results here.

-- Mary Westbrook
mwestbrook@safnow.org

 
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Tips

June: Awash in Roses?

On Valentine's Day and Mother's Day you may have been rushing to find enough roses to meet your customers' demands, but chances are, in mid-summer that demand has decreased -- significantly.

Rose supplies are typically high in June (see chart below), which for about 30 years has been "National Rose Month" in the United States.  While that designation hasn't exactly garnered widespread national attention, many florists say the event has potential. And, communities and private organizations are getting in on the action: On June 2, for instance, the Homestead Museum in City of Industry, Calif., hosted a workshop on roses in honor of National Rose Month, led by Taylor Ingebretsen of Glendora Florist in Glendora, Calif.

Ready to celebrate National Rose Month? Looking for some inspiration? Check out the June issue of Floral Management magazine for tips on new bi-color varieties, and be on the lookout for red varieties (new flowers and classic picks) in the July issue.

Plus, read more about florists who have cornered the market on rose sales in "Sell More Roses" from the July 2005 issue of Floral Management magazine.

Summer Rose Imports 2006

Summer imports in 2006 from Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico peaked in late June with a total of almost 35 million roses. The supply remained high through at least the first week of August before dipping and returning to around the same level in late August. More than 1.6 billion roses were imported in 2006 from all countries. *Chart reflects Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico only. Source: Fruit and Vegetable Market News, USDA, 2007

--Mary Westbrook
mwestbrook@safnow.org

 
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Life at Work

Workers Still Struggling with Work/Life Balance

Do your workplace policies support both your 23-year-old, single salesman and your 43-year-old designer, who happens to be a single mom? A group of experts at a public meeting in Washington, D.C., recently claimed that, for most businesses, the answer is no.

Experts at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission meeting in April said that "workers are struggling to achieve work/life balance but often find themselves pitted against employers whose policies tend to favor employees who have some control over their schedules, white women over women of color, mothers over fathers, and non-mothers over pregnant and new mothers," according to HR News.

The experts noted women of color feel particular pressure from "excessive workloads and an unspoken message to work long hours but also of work/life conflicts, unsupportive managers and uncomfortable work environments," Jennifer Tucker, vice president for the Center for Women Policy Studies, a multiethnic and multicultural feminist policy organization that conducted a National Women of Color Work/Life survey in 16 Fortune 1,000 companies, said to HR News.

At the same time, men are not immune from work/balance issues. For example, unlike their female colleagues, "men are not getting time to leave early to pick up their kids from child care," said Elizabeth Grossman, regional attorney for the EEOC's New York District Office.  "I'm very concerned that pregnancy discrimination [also] is getting more subtle [overall]."

--Mary Westbrook
mwestbrook@safnow.org

 
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Mark Your Calendar

PR Boot Camp Will Get You In Shape at SAF Palm Springs 2007

Ever wonder why some companies always seem to be in the news, while reporters never knock on your door?  Getting media coverage isn't rocket science. SAF's Vice President of Marketing Jennifer Sparks will get you in shape at PR Boot Camp during SAF Palm Springs, Sept. 26-29. You'll learn how to see and promote your business from a news perspective, to create your own press releases, become a reporter's "expert source," interview do's and don'ts and much more. Don't miss it. View complete convention program details and register online now.  For more information contact Laura Weaver, (800) 336-4743.

--Shelley Estersohn
sestersohn@safnow.org

 
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Regular Features

Watch Your Inbox

SAF has sent out a Zoomerang survey on the 2007 Local Marketing Kit -- let us know what you think of the kit, and help us plan for next year's by responding.

The kit already has received a stamp of approval from one California florist. The kit's posters were mounted and displayed on the wall at Blooms and Bears Florist (pictured left) in Irvine, just days after owner LuAnn Schwab and husband Carl received them.

--Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org

 
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Product Spotlight: The Changing Floriculture Industry: A Statistical Overview, Fourth Edition

Its hard to run a business and stay on top of what's going on in the floral industry -- but SAF makes it easy with The Changing Floriculture Industry: A Statistical Overview (fourth edition). This updated and expanded version tracks industry sales, production levels and trends for each segment of the industry. It contains more than 60 information-packed pages filled with charts, maps and tables — twice the data of the previous edition — plus
a new chapter on the floral consumer.

A research firm would charge you thousands
of dollars for a statistical overview of the floral industry with this level of detail, but SAF members pay only $49.95. For $19.95, members can also purchase a CD-ROM containing "PowerPoint-ready" images of all the report's charts and graphs. Call SAF Member Services at (800) 336-4743 if you have questions or if you would like to purchase this powerful new tool. Non-members, please call for pricing.

--Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org

 
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Talk on the Forums

One member is having a hard time with hydrangea. She says it is a popular wedding flower and she would like to keep using them in design work, but they wilt easily. Have any tricks up your sleeve?

Also on the Forum:
Minimum deliveries
Referrals

Start your own discussion.

--Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org

 
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Florists Stick with Same Father's Day Promotions

Fifty-two percent of readers said they would not change their promotion of Father's Day this year. Thirty-six percent said they would decrease promotion of the holiday, and 12 percent said they would increase promotion.

--Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org

 
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Father’s Day: A Steady Share

For more than 10 years, market share in dollar sales and floral transactions for Father’s Day has remained between 0.7 percent and 1.6 percent of all calendar occasions, according to the Consumer Tracking Study. The overall trends are up for both measures, as shown by the "linear" trend lines below. In terms of market share, the holiday is in the same ballpark as St. Patrick’s Day and, surprisingly, Administrative Professionals Week.

Father's Day Market Share of Calendar Occasions

Source: Ipsos-Insight FloralTrends Consumer Tracking Study, 1993 to 2005. The study was discontinued in 2005.

--Ira Silvergleit
isilvergleit@safnow.org

 
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