Florist Basic Pricing Guide

“The book of nature is written in the language of Mathematics” -Galileo

Running a flower shop or floral eCommerce website starts with creative skill however the longevity of your business relies on consistent and proper florist pricing.

One thing to take notice of is that in the floral business there isn’t a set markup guide- you should consider your markup based on the type of floral business you run and your location. What you dont want to do is not charge enough markup and also not be consistent in your formula.

The most used florist pricing guide includes labor, flowers/foliage, plants, gifts, and supplies.

Labor Charge:

The basic labor charge is set at 20% of the retail price. Florist dont be timid about increasing your labor charge as needed, for everyday floral arrangements you may be good with a 20 % charge however for a floral arrangement that takes you more time charge more labor this is perfectly acceptable.

 

Flower & Foliage Markup:

For flowers and foliage, the most commonly used markup is 3.5% times your wholesale cost per stem. When using a full bunch you would use the same formula and charge 3.5% times the wholesale cost of the bunch.

Check the chart image above for standard mixed flower arrangement- calculate each flower stem to come up with flower/foliage final retail cost which comes to $19.07 x’s 3.5% = $66.75.

Example:

Flower/Foliage	Wholesale Cost This is what you paid!	Qty x Markup	Retail
Free Spirit Rose	$2.00	4 (Qty) x 3.5%	$28.00
Lisianthus	$1.05	2 (Qty) x 3.5%	$7.00

Plant Markup:

For your retail plants, such as indoor, blooming, orchids, dish gardens, air plants, and succulents take into consideration the container that it is in, and be sure to mark that up as well separately. I like to markup any variety of plants three times that is 3.0 % of wholesale cost. For the actual container, I use a 2.0 % or 2.5% markup depending on the uniqueness of the container or demand.

Gifts & Supply Markup:

The set standard for gifts and supply is two times or 2.0% of your wholesale cost. This is only a set standard markup for retail it is perfectly OK to set a higher markup depending on your type of retail floral business and location. Gifts include any curated gift boxes, baskets, candles, and supplies would be your containers/vases, ribbon, tape, wire, printer ink, card stock, and so on.

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It is agreed that florist labor and markup are important to sustain a floral business but more importantly is understanding the fundamentals of the flower & supply cost.

Overbuying, waste, or adding a few free flower stems here or there, takes away from your business profits and minimizes you as the owner and your creativity. Set your markups, and labor costs, and consistently charge for your hard work it’s not personal just business!

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