'Age of romance is back' as Tesco sees surge in Brits buying beautiful bouquets

Tesco has reported an almost 25% surge in sales for its premium flower bouquets, signalling a comeback post-Covid lockdowns.

The supermarket giant attributes this rise to a flourishing demand over the past six months, with their Finest bouquets range being picked up nearly a quarter more often than the previous year—that's around half a million additional bouquets sold since April compared to last.

The chain’s main supplier MM Flowers, based in Alconbury in Cambridgeshire, says it is also seeing rising demand, particularly for premium bouquets. In the last 13 weeks the company has seen volume growth of more than 10% – equal to an increase in orders of more than five million bouquets per annum across its operations.

Consumer spending on flora has also blossomed, hitting highs not seen over the past two years. Ryan Daley, the flower buyer, commented: "Judging by soaring sales over the last six months, the age of romance is back as Brits lavish their loved ones with beautiful bouquets.

"Flower-giving unfortunately saw a decline during the Covid lockdown period a few years ago – for obvious reasons – and has taken a while to get back to where it was five years ago. Not only is flower gifting back but it would appear that many people are making up for lost time, judging by the number of high-quality blooms they are lavishing on family and loved ones right now."

MM Flowers group product and marketing director Nikki Rider said she is "thrilled to see people recognising the value that flowers bring to homes and the lives of their loved ones". Tesco's top five most sought-after Finest bouquets in the past six months were: Fleur Bouquet, Antiqua, Rose and Lily Bouquet, Florence Bouquet, and Ray of Sunshine.

These popular bouquets showcase a mix of premium flowers, including roses, chrysanthemum blooms, and lilies, as well as additional foliage and textures from eucalyptus and eryngium. The Ray of Sunshine bouquet also features British-grown sunflowers when in season.