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Chandigarh: This Valentine’s Day, soaring rose prices a thorn in love
On quick-commerce platform Blinkit, a single rose is priced at ₹80 while on Instamart, it costs ₹99. On normal days, these cost anywhere between ₹55 and ₹70, depending on quality
With Valentine’s week coinciding with the wedding season, prices of roses have surged sharply across the tricity. A bouquet of 10 roses that would usually cost ₹400- ₹500 is now selling for ₹800- ₹1,000 in local markets while smaller bouquets that cost ₹200- ₹350 on normal days are priced at ₹500 or more.
On quick-commerce platform Blinkit, a single rose is priced at ₹80 while on Instamart, it costs ₹99. On normal days, these cost anywhere between ₹55 and ₹70, depending on quality.
Satbeer Singh, a florist in Phase 5, Mohali, said, “This is the steepest rise I have seen in my 15 years in the business. We are getting a comparatively weak response from customers, but the prices remain high, largely because of the monopoly of farmers and distributors,” he said.
This has led to the sellers’ margins going down. As the owner of Shiv Florist in Sector 61, Mohali, explains it: “We are getting roses at very high rates from distributors but earning very little margin on sales. It is due to the monopoly of farmers or distributors that prices have increased.”
Florists in the city source their roses mainly from Delhi, and sometimes even from Pune and Bengaluru.
A seller at Mehal Florist in Sector 35 said, “Florists across India are seeing a hike in rose prices. They are now at least four times more expensive than on normal days. Due to the increased rates, we are seeing a dip in sales.” Usually, red roses are cheaper than other coloured varieties, but currently red roses are the most expensive, he added.
Residents, meanwhile, are looking at other options. Sanchul, a resident of Mohali, said he prefers buying roses through online platforms as the prices are cheaper. “Since there is higher demand for roses during Valentine’s week, I prefer to buy them from websites that offer comparatively lower prices,” he said.
Samriti, an entrepreneur who runs a crochet business, said that instead of real roses, many people are opting for crochet bouquets that last forever. “I sell one crochet rose for ₹150, eight for ₹1,050 and 12 for ₹1,250. The flowers are a bit more expensive than real roses, but given their longevity, creative appeal and Instagram trends, people are buying them,” she said.
