Supplier price rises: how florists recalculate rates
A stem that costs 30% more does not justify a final price 30% higher: here is how to work out the right increase.
7 min read
Published by FlolyaWhen your wholesaler raises prices, do not lift your rates at random: recalculate the cost of each recipe with the new purchase prices, then apply your usual markup to that new base. Only the material part changes, so the increase in your selling price is almost always smaller than the increase on the stems.
This guide gives a five-step method, a worked example (the amounts are assumptions, not market prices) and what to do about quotes that are already signed.
Spot a real increase, not a seasonal swing
Cut flowers move all year: roses cost more before a big holiday, peonies less in full season. To tell a lasting increase from a one-off peak, compare the same product, in the same grade, at the same time of year. Keep a simple log of your purchases: product, grade, price per stem, date, supplier.
Context matters too. According to the Union Nationale des Fleuristes (April 2026), heating can account for up to 40% of a greenhouse grower's costs, and nearly 85% of the flowers sold in France come from abroad, so transport costs follow fuel. These factors explain rises, but they say nothing about your own purchase prices: only your log does.
Recalculate the cost of each recipe
A 30% rise on one variety only matters if that variety is in your recipes. Take your best-selling arrangements, replace the old purchase prices with the new ones and recalculate the material cost. Here is an example, with fictional purchase prices, for a wedding centrepiece.
| Ingredient | Before | After | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roses (6 stems) | €6.00 | €7.80 | +30% |
| Lisianthus (4 stems) | €3.60 | €4.00 | +11% |
| Eucalyptus (5 stems) | €3.00 | €3.30 | +10% |
| Foam and ribbon | €1.40 | €1.40 | 0% |
| Material cost | €14.00 | €16.50 | +17.9% |
Roses rose by 30%, yet the recipe cost only goes up by 17.9%, because the other lines move less. That is why an across-the-board increase of 10%, or of 30% because roses went up, is rarely right: it undercharges recipes heavy in the affected varieties and overcharges the others.
Review the material cost × markup formula
Choose how to pass the increase on
In this example you apply a 3.5 markup on materials, then add 25 minutes of labour at €60 excluding VAT per hour, that is €25. These values are assumptions: use your own. Two methods are possible.
| Method | New price | Change per piece | For 20 centrepieces |
|---|---|---|---|
| Same markup (×3.5) | €82.75 | +€8.75 (+11.8%) | +€175 |
| Cost increase only | €76.50 | +€2.50 (+3.4%) | +€50 |
The first method keeps your markup: waste, losses and the share of overheads that markup covers stay funded. The second only protects the amount in euros you earned before: your markup then falls to about 3.1 (€51.50 for €16.50 of materials). Neither is mandatory, but choose knowingly rather than discovering the gap in the wedding's results.
Quotes already sent and quotes already signed
In France, a quote is an offer to contract that binds the professional once the client accepts it, and the client is only bound once they sign, according to Service Public. A signed quote is therefore not readjusted because the wholesaler raised prices: the signed price applies, unless the client asks for a change.
- Signed quote: keep the price. If the client changes something (quantities, varieties, added pieces), price that change at current purchase prices and have it approved by amendment.
- Sent but not yet signed: your price only holds for the validity period stated. If the rise is recent, you can update the estimate before signature.
- Future quotes: state a short validity period when prices are moving, and fix the price at signature rather than at delivery.
To limit the risk between signature and purchase, place your order as early as possible, and ask your wholesaler whether the price can be confirmed at order time. The answer depends on each supplier: do not assume it.
See how to structure a clear wedding quote
Announce an increase to your clients
A client understands an increase that is explained simply, and rejects a price that changes without reason. Give the fact, the amount and the effective date, without a long justification. For example: "Our rates change on 1 January: roses and several varieties have gone up with our suppliers. Your quote remains valid until 15 December at current conditions."
For loyal clients, announce the increase in advance rather than letting them find it in a quote. For new clients, simply apply the new rate: they have no earlier price to compare.
Present a proposal that justifies your price
A simple routine so rises stop catching you out
Log purchase prices
At each order or invoice, update the price of your main varieties. A few lines are enough.
Watch the gaps
Once a quarter, and before each peak season, compare your current prices with those used in your recipes.
Recalculate the affected recipes
Only touch the recipes that contain the varieties that moved.
Decide the method
Same markup, cost increase only or replacement variety: choose per recipe, not for the whole catalogue.
Warn and date it
Announce the new rate with its effective date, then adjust the validity period of your quotes.
Frequently asked questions
- By how much should I raise my prices when flowers go up?
- There is no universal percentage. Recalculate the material cost of your recipes with the new purchase prices, then apply your markup. In our fictional example, a rose at +30% gives a recipe at +17.9% and a selling price at +11.8%.
- Can I raise the price of a quote that is already signed?
- The client is bound from signature and the professional from acceptance: the signed price applies. A change requested by the client, such as an addition or a different variety, can be priced separately and approved by amendment.
- How often should I review my recipes?
- At least every quarter and before the periods when your purchases cost more. Also review them whenever a variety you use a lot rises sharply.
- How do I announce the increase to regular clients?
- Warn them in advance, with the effective date and the reason in one sentence. If possible, leave quotes in progress valid until their expiry date.
- Should I change wholesaler when prices rise?
- First compare the real price, transport included, on the varieties you buy most. A general rise often hits every supplier: switching is not always the best answer.
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