Online rose orders surge as prices soar ahead of Valentine’s Day
Normally, roses take 50 to 55 days to grow, but due to high temperatures, flowers were ready by the last week of January—when demand was still low in both the domestic and international markets
More people in Pune are opting to send roses online for Valentine’s Day instead of purchasing them from local florists as rose prices have skyrocketed due to lower arrivals with a single stem costing between ₹30 and ₹40, up from ₹15 to ₹25 last year.
Amit Shah, an information technology (IT) professional, said, “I work in Hinjewadi and recently got engaged. I preferred to book flowers online as a surprise for my fiancée.”
A woman working in an insurance company on condition of anonymity said, “My family has restrictions, especially on Valentine’s Day. My boyfriend lives in another part of the city and since we are planning to marry soon, I booked roses online for him.”
Jeevan Nanaware, a wholesale flower trader at the Pune Agriculture Market Committee, said, “This year, demand is similar to previous years and international demand is also high. However due to lower arrivals, prices have risen. A bundle of 20 roses is selling for ₹350 to ₹400 in the wholesale market, meaning a single rose costs ₹17 to ₹20. In the retail market, customers are paying ₹30 to ₹40 per flower, depending on the quality.”
While the overall valuation remains stable, a new trend of sending roses online has emerged over the past few years. “To maintain privacy and avoid conflicts, more people are opting for online orders on Valentine’s Day. Many couples live in different cities and want to celebrate the occasion, while Pune’s large student population also contributes to the rise in online bookings. As per feedback from florists, nearly 50% of their sales now come from online orders.”
Explaining the production challenges this year, Mukund Thakar, a flower exporter and farmer, said, “Most rose production takes place in the Maval taluka of Pune, with another major belt in Nashik. This year, unexpected weather conditions affected our planning. We received good rainfall leading us to expect a colder winter but temperatures did not drop significantly. Normally, roses take 50 to 55 days to grow, but due to high temperatures, flowers were ready by the last week of January—when demand was still low in both the domestic and international markets.”
“Now farmers have limited stock but demand is high in both markets. Interestingly, domestic rates are higher than international rates this year,” Thakar said.
Dilip Kale, a farmer, highlighted storage constraints. “We cannot store flowers for more than eight days. If we have one lakh flowers in storage and receive 50,000 more daily, the stock lasts only for two days. This year, farmers had to sell their flowers earlier than expected.”
Local florist Ajay Mali noted a shift in buying patterns. “Roses see peak demand in the second week of February. It’s not just young couples—many middle-aged people too buy them. However, online orders are increasing rapidly.”