Today’s consumers are yelling for flowers to last. Moreover, some of the flower retail outlets have caught on to this…
One of the most important factors in achieving a better guarantee on flowers is hygiene. It is hygiene that has allowed supermarkets to increase the vase life of their products from 11 to 16 days. Consequently, supermarkets were able to tap into one of the most important consumer demands of today: ‘I want my flowers to last longer!’. This is one of the key factors in the rise of supermarkets, because the guaranteed vase life created trust.
Hygiene is, in essence, a science. It may sound boring, but this science can persuade your customers to keep coming back, create a tighter bond and, essentially, make your clients trust you. Of course, florists are different and therefore cannot just replicate the process of supermarkets. However, we should take measures. With just a few small but important actions florists can significantly extend the vase life of their flowers.
To improve your vase life, it’s important to know from which grower you are buying flowers. It’s a fact that certain growers have higher quality and hygiene standards than others. Also, it is important that florists know two important factors from their exporter or wholesaler:
1. Do they treat their flowers hygienically?
2. How fresh are the flowers?
The Chrysal experience – the science of trust
Chrysal is a brand that has long been amongst florists, helping with hygiene and keeping flowers happy from growers to consumers. Therefore, Florint asked Chrysal for the most important steps in hygiene and keeping your flowers alive for longer, and thereby getting your customer to come back.
Here are the essentials:
1. Get clean and inspired
Every professional florist knows the importance of uncluttered and clean work surfaces. It offers a better overview of stock and keeps cut flowers in better shape. And not only does it enhance the amount of creative space, it also encourages staff to clean up after themselves.
So both company and personnel benefit from the daily drill: remove dirt from tools, work surfaces and floors and take the debris well away from fresh and stored products.
2. Prolong the quality of your stock
As you know, cleaning products get rid of many risk factors, such as the fungal disease Botrytis and bacteria. All these decrease the quality of your stock. To prevent cross-infection it helps to wash tools and surfaces with a detergent or soap and dry the surfaces afterwards.
For this measure Chrysal Cleaner is well-suited: it is perfect for buckets and florist tools. It has a strong dissolving capacity that makes it easier to remove organic matter. This is a breeding ground for bacteria, but a good wash with this number 1 bacteria killer eliminates about 90% of these bad guys already.
3. Finishing touch in floral hygiene
The final step in floral hygiene is disinfection, and it is essential to keeping your stock healthy and fresh. If you are looking for efficiency, Chrysal Clean Touch is unrivalled. Contrary to chlorine-based products, you don’t need to dry this disinfectant. Just spray and let it dry naturally for 30 minutes: this great end of the day routine will result in greater bacterial protection.
Trials have shown that buckets stacked after washing with a detergent and then sprayed with Chrysal Clean Touch and left to dry naturally, hardly developed any bacteria even after a few weeks of storage. As a result cleaning becomes easier and more effective, keeping your stock healthier and your customers happier: it is a win-win choice.
Go Chrysal!
- Cleaner space for stock
- Easy to use timesaver
- More inspiring work environment
- Longer vase-life, fewer losses
Summary: capitalizing on costumer trust through hygiene!
– In the UK supermarkets now account for the majority of sales of cut flowers.
– Supermarkets found that the number 1 concern for consumers when buying flowers is vase life. Supermarkets quickly changed the supply chain to guarantee a vase life of 9 days by extending the vase life of their products from 11 to 16 days.
– To achieve this, hygiene was the most important factor.
– Florists can’t replicate this model, but they can do a lot by:
- checking the quality of the growers where the flowers come from;
- check the quality process with your exporter and wholesaler;
- push for cleaner standards and fresher products.
and:
- At the shop, strive for greater standards of hygiene by following the steps outlined by Chrysal:
- Get cleaned and inspired through a cleaner space for stock.
- Wash your tools and buckets (if you use metallic vases, make sure they have a plastic lining inside).
- Cut your flowers properly. Remember that each variety has a special way of being cut. Not all flowers need a 45 degree cut.
- You only need to replace your water every 5 days if you use Chrysal Professional 2.
- Clean your buckets or vases the way Chrysal has shown us.
- In warmer countries or warm shops, keep your flowers in a cool area or a fridge, between 5-8 degrees Celsius.
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