Milwaukee restaurant gift certificate

Selling Points

Florist comes up with a different gift arrangement

By DORIS HAJEWSKI

of the Journal Sentinel staff

Wednesday, February 13, 2002

An East Side florist has come up with a way to beat the high cost of Valentine's Day roses: Give a gift certificate.

For about the same money a guy would spend on say, a Dustbuster, he can give his significant other a nice card entitling her to a dozen long-stemmed red roses at any time of the year except Valentine's Day or Mother's Day.

"Last year, it went really well," says Ken Pinard, owner of Belle Fiori, at 931 E. Ogden Ave., pointing out that the price of roses goes through the roof at this time every year.

A quick check of a few local and Internet outlets puts the price for red roses, in a vase and delivered, at about $90. Last year, the average price around the country was $68.64, according to the American Floral Consumer Tracking Study.

"It's all based on supply and demand," says Kristy Eidam, consumer marketing manager for the Society of American Florists. "It's one day out of the year, and everyone wants roses."

Pinard admits that handing a loved one a gift certificate instead of a bouquet isn't the most romantic gesture a spouse can make, but when it's combined with another gift or dinner, it can be kind of nice, he maintains.

He came up with the idea last year for a customer who wanted to buy roses for his staff. The man provided his credit card number to the shop, and he was charged for the roses as his employees used their certificates during the year.

"The romance part of it came with his packaging," Pinard says. "He'll package the gift certificate with a really beautiful Valentine's Day card and a note saying, 'Pamper yourself.' "

Love a priority

If surveys conducted for two retail trade groups are any indication, there will be plenty of pampering going on this year.

Perhaps it's a sign that the economy is improving, that Americans are making love a priority in these troubled times, or maybe it's just a function of the high cost of roses, but U.S. consumers plan to spend about 13% more on gifts this year.

Americans plan to spend an average of $95.50 each on Valentine's Day this year, according to a survey conducted for the National Retail Federation. That's an increase from an average of $84.20 last year.

Valentine's Day is the No. 1 sales day for florists and for sales of cut flowers, according to the industry trade group.

In terms of all Valentine's Day spending, cards rank as the No. 1 choice, with the majority of people who responded to various surveys - - 65% to 75% -- saying they plan to send cards. Valentine's Day is the second-largest greeting card sales day, after Christmas. Not counting children's boxed valentines, an estimated 163 million cards are exchanged each year, according to Hallmark.

Candy is another favorite love offering. The industry expects to reach $1.1 billion in sales of Valentine treats this year. But the February holiday is just the fourth-biggest sales day for candy, behind Halloween, Easter and Christmas.

Men are big spenders

Men spend most of the Valentine money, $158 compared with just $36 for women.

But some high-rollers shell out a lot more than that to declare their affection.

This week, Concours Motors is delivering three pricey cars bought by husbands for their wives, including a red Mercedes convertible. "Every year, we always get one or two," says general manager Tony San Filippo.

Last year, there was a guy whose wife always wanted a Mercedes SL, San Filippo recalled. He took her to a restaurant and gave her a toy Mercedes at dinner.

"Then he says, 'You know what, we'll get you a real one,' and he tosses out the toy," San Filippo says. "There was a new one, with a big bow, parked outside."

Notes: Laughlin/Constable has been hired for public relations work for WPC Brands Inc. of Jackson, maker of Repel brand insect repellents.

Shine Advertising Co., a small new Madison ad shop, has created a new branding campaign for Elefanten USA, a German shoe brand that is distributed in the U.S. by a division of the Allen-Edmonds Corp.

Doris Hajewski covers advertising and marketing for the Journal Sentinel. She can be reached at (414) 224-2386 or dhajewsk@onwis.com.

DID YOU KNOW?

-- In terms of all Valentine's Day spending, cards rank as the No. 1 choice, with the majority of people who responded to various surveys -- 65% to 75% -- saying they plan to send cards.

-- Valentine's Day is the second-largest greeting card sales day, after Christmas. Not counting children's boxed valentines, an estimated 163 million cards are exchanged each year.

-- The candy industry expects to reach $1.1 billion in sales of Valentine treats this year.

-- Valentine's Day is the fourth-biggest sales day for candy, behind Halloween, Easter and Christmas.

-- Men spend most of the Valentine money -- $158, compared with just $36 for women.

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