Purchasing Resources for Floral Refrigerators

Business Guide to Floral Refrigerators

If you own or operate a flower shop or sell flowers at your retail establishment, you should definitely consider investing in a floral refrigerator. Floral refrigerators increase the lifespan of your flower arrangements while keeping them visible to customers. They are available in a variety of sizes and styles, and they can greatly enhance the aesthetic appeal of your establishment. Floral refrigerators either have a sliding door or open-faced style. These refrigerators allow you to display the arrangements you have for sale while keeping them organized and free of pests. When you store your flowers in a floral refrigerator, you not only save shelf space, you also save money. Before purchasing a floral refrigerator, there are quite a few factors you should consider.

Benefits

Super Floral Retailing estimates that the United States imported 5.3 billion flower stems in 2010. While your business will only use a fraction of these blossoms, floral refrigerators will help keep your inventory in the best possible condition until it can be used. Refrigeration is especially important with imported blossoms, which may have been cut days before they arrive at your shop.

Increases inventory longevity

Flowers, cuttings, and other perishable inventory will last longer if it is kept at a steady temperature. While you could temperature control an entire room, this arrangement is often costly and may cause miserable employee working conditions. By using several floral refrigerators, you can divide your inventory by type and store your cuttings at the appropriate temperature for each species.

Increases sales

While some floral refrigerators are strictly storage spaces for perishable inventory, other refrigerators can act as display cases to entice customers. Although many florists use photographs of finished arrangements to help customers make a decision, seeing the size and scale of the floral arrangement in the store can help customers choose the best bouquet for their needs. Offering a selection of flowers in floral refrigerators also increases the chances of an impulse buy when a customer enters your shop.

Allows for a greater selection of merchandise

Without refrigeration, your business would be limited to the flowers it could quickly cut and transport before they began to wilt. Floral refrigeration allows you to offer out-of-season blossoms or flowers from exotic locations. In fact, according to Super Floral Retailing, in 2010 the United States imported 3.5 billion stems from Colombia alone.

Allows you to regulate humidity

Not only do they regulate temperature, but floral refrigerators can also be calibrated to retain specific humidity levels. Keeping proper humidity is important; baby's breath, for example, can start to mold if the humidity in the floral refrigerator is too high.

Pitfalls

Trapped ethylene gas spoils flowers early

Fresh flowers produce an odorless, colorless gas called ethylene. When you place flowers inside a refrigerator, this gas becomes trapped. Because flowers in an enclosed space will be exposed to higher concentrations of ethylene gas, they might spoil more quickly than they otherwise would. You can purchase a filter that removes this gas from the air inside the refrigerator, but this will be an extra cost to consider.

Improper lighting decreases aesthetic appeal

Some floral refrigerators come equipped with excellent lighting that makes your display stand out, but others may need additional lighting. You don’t want to end up with a floral refrigerator that is too dim or that uses bulbs that cast flowers in an unattractive light. If your floral displays are unappealing to customers, it could hurt your sales. Make sure you consider the cost of any additional lighting that will be needed.

Operating costs

Adding a refrigerator to your building will increase your electricity bill. If you decide to purchase a large refrigerator, this extra cost could be significant. Keep in mind that used or refurbished models are likely to be less efficient than brand new refrigerators. If the refrigerator doors will frequently be open, this will also contribute to higher energy costs.

Maintenance and repairs

If you decide to purchase a floral refrigerator, keep in mind the ongoing costs of maintenance and repairs. You may have to purchase certain chemicals or cleaning products to keep the refrigerator in good shape. You or your employees will have to devote time to cleaning it on a regular basis. If it stops working, you will probably have to bring someone in to repair it, and this could involve extra costs for replacement parts and labor. Be prepared to spend money on maintenance and repairs as long as the refrigerator remains operational.

Pricing

Whether you are looking to purchase new or second-hand floral refrigerators, you may be pleasantly surprised to find prices are quite reasonable. According to floralrefrigerators.org, a new single-door refrigerator can go from $1500 to $2600, and a new double-door floral refrigerator usually retails at somewhere between $2,900 and $3,500. Larger florists considering purchasing their own quadruple-door refrigerator can expect to pay no more than $7,000.

Second-hand floral refrigerators are cheaper than buying new, but very rarely come with any kind of warranty. This means if anything happens to the refrigerator once installed, you will have to buy for servicing and maintenance yourself. An open-air cooler may also be worth considering, as these allow your customers to choose which flowers they want by themselves. You can buy open-air coolers in a variety of sizes, and they usually retail between $1,000 and $6,500.

Conclusion

Overall, floral refrigerators are a great investment for anyone in the floral industry. They keep your flowers fresh, attractive and cool, and they help florists to keep their flower arrangements neatly organized. The adjustable shelves and clear doors that they contain make it easy for customers to view your entire collection without moving your items around. While there are a few pitfalls to consider, these items can greatly increase your business’s bottom line because they will make your flowers and plants last much longer. There are many traditional and energy-efficient models on the market. Your initial investment may be a bit steep, but these refrigerators can last for over 20 years, which makes the investment well worth it.