As Valentine’s Day approaches, floral businesses across Australia are swamped with orders. We spoke with Square seller and the owner of South Melbourne Market’s Azalea Flowers, Michael Pavlou, to learn how he gets through the busiest week of his year.
How did you get started in the floristry business?
My family is all in the industry, so I got my start at age 10 wrapping flowers for my uncle at his stall at the Camberwell Market.
How do you prepare the shop for Valentine’s Day?
You can’t really compare Valentine’s Day to anything else in any other industry as far as trying to keep up with demand. We make up as many arrangements as possible for two days beforehand, because as soon as we open it is flat out hectic until we sell out.
Is Valentine’s Day your biggest sales day of the year?
Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day are both massive. The day of the week Valentine’s Day falls on makes a big difference as well. Sundays are good for us at the market, but not so good for shops in the city.
What’s the most popular flower for Valentine’s Day?
It goes without saying that Valentine’s Day is all about red roses. However, in recent times our native arrangements have been really popular for people who are after something a bit different.
How early do you start receiving Valentine’s Day orders?
Our first order this year arrived in the first week of January.
What’s the latest order you’ve received?
February 15 (oops!).
How does data from Square Point of Sale help you with Valentine’s Day preparation?
Being able to check my data from last year’s sales while ordering flowers makes life so much easier. The last thing I want is to be left with too many red roses.
We wish Azalea — and every other florist around Australia using Square Point of Sale this Valentine’s Day — the best of luck. Find out how you can use Square’s free, powerful point-of-sale features to make your business run just a little more smoothly on your busiest days of the year.
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