Want to give a gift that's even more popular than Pokemon and isn't just a passing fad? Try flowers! It's really no secret that flowers have been an extremely popular gift to give for many, many years. Now, thanks to a recent nationwide survey, we have hard numbers that prove what those of us in the floral industry have known all along.
Of all the gifts given and received in America, flowers consistently fill one of the top three spots (other favorites are clothing and jewelry). And, in many cases, flowers even top the list of the best gift. For example, the gift both men and women like to receive as an expression of love is flowers. Perhaps that's because flowers so simply and beautifully show the love and emotion we feel in a very personal way.
Sending flowers is also a very easy way to show someone how much you care. All it takes is a five minute phone call to your florist who will help you choose the perfect flowers for anyone in your life and for any occasion. Now, it should be noted that the survey showed that the number one most convenient gift to give is clothing. However, it should be said that clothing is also the number one most returned gift. Let's face it, it's much harder to choose an item of clothing that suits someone else's style and fits properly than it is to send a beautiful flower arrangement. How often do you hear about people returning flowers?
Which gift do you suppose was ranked as the gift that most makes people smile? Well, I'd really like to say it's flowers, but in this case it was jewelry, receiving 26 percent of respondents' votes. Flowers came in as a close second with 23 percent of the votes. Sure, if you send me a $1,000 watch I'm going to smile! But, how often are you able to send such an extravagant gift and is jewelry something you'd take to your boss's house for a dinner party? Probably not!
Though we often choose flowers as a gift for special occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries, it turns out they're also the perfect gift for no occasion at all. When asked what their favorite occasion to receive flowers for was, survey respondents chose "no special occasion" as the best time to get them with 30 percent of the vote. Running a somewhat distant second was Valentine's Day with 20 percent of the vote.
Clearly flowers as gifts aren't a fad that is likely to fade anytime soon. They're as prevalent as Pokemon and I, for one, hope they're a trend that never goes out of style.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Wesley Berry is the President of Wesley Berry Flowers, a successful multi-million dollar business that was established in 1946. He is also the Headmaster of the Professional Florists' Institute, a floral design school located in Michigan. Visit Wesley Berry Flowers on the web at http://www.800wesleys.com.
