Flower Industry Statistics and Job Outlook

The floral industry is in flux. With their ability to buy in bulk and undercut their competitors, supermarket chains have been and will continue to be a severe threat to traditional florists. The Internet continues to grab a bigger and bigger chunk of sales, forcing existing businesses to shift operations online and causing underperforming florists to close their doors. In general, the aforementioned factors are affecting the industry across the developed world.

Though this information may sound glum, the upside is that those who know how to work the Internet can do well in the coming years and with an aging workforce some countries like the UK are facing shortages of experienced labour.

For specific flower industry statistics and job outlook data read on as The Florist Guide presents data here for the Australia, Canada, the UK and the United States.

Australia


Floral Industry Statistics and Outlook

IBISWorld values the floral industry in Australia at $826 million. There are 2498 businesses in the industry, and 5770 people are employed. It’s an industry that’s seeing stability but not necessarily growth – IBISWorld states that average industry growth from 2014-2019 was 0.6%.

Bricks and mortar flower shops appear to just be staying the course in Australia, but online flower shops have grown 5.1% in the period between 2015 and 2020. Increased consumer confidence and familiarity with online purchasing has been a big factor driving the online floral industry, which is now worth $257 million. It includes 745 businesses and employs 1727 people.

Florist Job Statistics and Outlook

The Australian Industry and Skills Committee states that employment levels have been “variable since 2000.” According to its data, the industry reached an employment level of 7500 people in 2019 and is projected to increase to 7800 by 2024. They emphasize the importance of “digital technology training” to those looking to join the industry.

The Australian Government’s Job Outlook site also sees future job growth as stable. The kind of jobs available might be fluid, however. Job Outlook reports that 48% of florists work full time. Australia’s Retail and Personal Services Council’s publication on Industry Developments and Workplace Challenges says the majority of florist shops are “owner operated with the majority of owners being ‘hands on’ and employing an average of three staff.”

They also note, however, that since florists now rely less on day-to-day, “walk-in” business and more on events, they make use of casual employees and tend to have “a pool of people they can draw from to meet the demand” of high-traffic holidays like Valentine’s Day.

Canada


Floral Industry Statistics and Outlook

According to IBISWorld, flowers are a $673 million industry in Canada. Its data cites 3129 businesses and 6936 people employed. Like many countries, though, Canada is experiencing a decline in its cut floral industry. In the period from 2014-2019, IBISWorld reported average industry growth of -1.9%.

Trends in Canada tend to follow the U.S., whose floral industry is also undergoing a big transition in the way things are done. Bricks and mortar shops are expected to be increasingly vulnerable to pressures from bigger competitors like supermarkets and from the new cultural comfort with ordering flowers online instead of heading to a shop to purchase them.

Florist Job Statistics and Outlook

Statistics Canada reports that florists tend towards low numbers of employees. According to their data, which records 3, 039 flower businesses, 66.6% of flower businesses are classified as a “micro” business, with 1-4 employees. 33.3% are small businesses of 5-99 employees, and only .1% of flower businesses counting as medium businesses with 100-499 employees. 1,638 establishments were employers, while 1,401 either did not employ people or were indeterminate.

Jared Lindzon of The Globe and Mail reports that new florists can expect to earn lower wages, typically $14-$15 per hour. Supermarkets tend to pay higher, at $16-$18 per hour, and supermarket floral shop managers tend to make between $22 and $24 an hour.

The higher wages and job opportunities offered by supermarkets might steer new florists away from traditional jobs in flower shops. The number of florist positions and the kinds of salaries offered tend to vary widely by province/territory and to be higher in big urban centres.

The United Kingdom


Floral Industry Statistics and Outlook

IBISWorld puts the financial worth of the industry at 1 billion pounds. According to its data, there are 14,178 florist businesses in Britain, which employ 20,751 people. The floral industry remained relatively stable over the past 5 years, with industry growth resting at 0.8%.

IBISWorld states that supermarkets are the prime challenge for the industry right now, as they’re seen as an easier and more cost-effective source of flowers. That said, “specialist flower retailers” are expected to still do well over the next few years because of the arrangement skills required for special events like weddings.

Florist Job Statistics and Outlook

The National Career Service states that florists earn a wide range of salaries, from £10,750 to £20,000. Careersmart.org agrees, citing an average salary of £18,771, or £12.41 an hour. Their data found that 26.3% of florists were full-time employees, 53.3% were part-time and 20.4% were self-employed. The National Career Service found that florists worked an average of 28-30 hours per week.

Salaries and job opportunities vary by region – London has the highest wages and the largest number of florists, with smaller urban centres and rural areas generally offering lower salaries and fewer jobs.

The United States


Floral Industry Statistics and Outlook

As a whole, flowers are big business in the U.S. According to IBISWorld, flowers are a $7 billion industry, with 32, 370 businesses and 74, 787 people employed. Like the other countries listed here, however, the floristry industry is in a slump. IBISWorld reports an average industry growth of -1.8% from 2014-2019. They cite discount online flowers and supermarkets as the 2 biggest causes of the industry’s contraction.

By contrast, during the same period, IBISWorld reports that online flower shops have grown 11.8%. The online industry is worth about $5 billion, with a reported 230 businesses and 4962 people employed.

Florist Job Statistics and Outlook

According to 2019 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for a florist is $28,040; which translates to $13.48 per hour. 24% of people employed in the industry are self-employed, 49% work for florists and 11% worked for “food and beverage stores.” The number of jobs and the rate of pay vary widely, depending on region, with larger urban centres usually offering higher wages and more job opportunities.

The job forecast for floral designers isn’t bright in the U.S. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says there were 55,000 jobs in 2018, but that employment would fall by 14% from 2018-2028. That’s an employment decrease of 7600 people. They also expect the number of florist shops to decrease, as well, as customers shift to more online buying. The Bureau cautions those interested in the industry that those “with formal education in floral design will have better prospects.”

Image credit: Krisztina Papp

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