Tomorrow is Chinese Valentine's Day and flower sellers are hoping to make a buck from the romantic occasion that no one else in the world celebrates.
"Valentine's Day is the most important occasion for florists. Sales generated during the three-day [lead up to the] holiday is equal to a month's worth of regular sales," said Yang Hua-fung (
He added that at this time last year the company generally rakes in about NT$4 million in sales, accounting for nearly 20 percent of its annual revenue.
Another florist estimated this year's sales should be even better, because this year's Valentine's Day -- or "Lover's Day" in Chinese -- falls on a weekday and not a weekend.
"Women enjoy the `face' they get when they receive flowers [at work] and are often inclined to ask their boyfriends to send them flowers to their offices during working hours," said Jessica Chang (張瑋容), owner of Jessica Florist, a flower shop on Taipei's Yi-tung Street.
Those looking to give their partners a big ego boost can expect to splash out an average of NT$2,000 to NT$3,000 for a Valentine's Day bouquet, much higher than the NT$1,000 average spent on Mother's Day.
"Consumers are more generous with their lovers rather than they are with their parents," Chang said.
The price of flowers traditionally surges during the holiday, but this year the increase has been less than in previous years.
"Ever since Taiwan entered the WTO, an increasing number of florists have imported flowers, bringing down prices," said Kuo Chih-wei (郭志偉), director of Christian Flower Shop on Taipei's Chi-nan Road.
According to Kuo, prices normally increase up to 50 percent at this time of year, but with the economy in low gear, the jump this year is about 30 percent.
"A dozen Ecuadorian-imported long-stem roses are currently going for a thin NT$2,300," he said.
The symbol of romance and love, roses are the top seller during Valentine's Day.
According to Kuo, about 30 percent of the roses sold are imported from Holland, Ecuador, Columbia and China.
Conversely, a dozen smaller Taiwanese roses retail for approximately NT$1,200.
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