The New Normal By April 6, Mayesh had reopened its national shipping operation out of Los Angeles, drawing on fresh-flower inven- tory from growers on the West Coast, including Martin Meskers of Oregon Flowers, who appeared with Dahlson on Mornings with Mayesh that same day. Temporary closure is not an option
for growers, and it’s important for people inside and outside the industry to understand that, said Dahlson. When sales and revenue go way down, a grower might be able to get by for a while with fewer workers. But most of the ongoing operational costs are nonnegotiable: “You turn off the water, there’s no coming back from that.” Speaking before Mother’s Day,
Dahlson predicted that some growers might have trouble meeting orders for the holiday because of reduced staffing. Going forward, however, he believes there should be plenty of flowers to meet demand — even if some growers do go out of business. What about price? While prices so
far have not radically jumped, Dahlson now expects that over time we’ll see a new normal with higher pricing, mainly due to higher transportation costs. “There’s been some damage done to the distribution chain,” he explained. “When delivery routes are not as efficient, you run trucks that are not close to full, you have to charge more.” The solution, he said, is closer coop-
eration between customers and suppli- ers: “We’re all going to have to be more forward-thinking.” That advice applies double to
the boutique flowers for weddings and events that have been a Mayesh specialty since the eighties. Prior to the pandemic, florists were often able to discover those flowers and make last- minute purchases at Mayesh branches with wide-open inventory on display. That’s less likely going forward, said
Dahlson: “We’re great inventory manag- ers, great risk takers. But with the forced shutdowns, now we know what it’s like to have to dump over half a million dollars’ worth of fresh flowers. It was really pain- ful.” Then too, who knows? Customers may prefer to continue doing more busi- ness online, rather than flocking to the
market, where they are in physical con- tact with others, however distanced.
Speaking Up The week before Mother’s Day, all Mayesh locations were able to reopen — operating with skeleton crews, and of course, within the limitations imposed by CDC guidelines and other regulations. Dahlson admits to having struggled
with conflicting priorities when it came to closing and reopening: wanting to do the right thing, but chafing at executive orders that sometimes seemed unevenly applied. “We pushed back,” he said, arguing
the case with authorities and winning some battles. At one point, Mayesh published a letter that was forwarded to decision makers and widely shared on social media, explaining how the floral industry works and why every link in the floral supply chain should be considered “essential.” Key to reviving the industry is the
chicken-and-egg relationship between supply and demand. Just as Mayesh has fine-tuned and juiced up its online information campaign, Ashton has urged retailers to do the same with their own customers. “Talk to your community,” she
advised during one of Mayesh’s Live Chats. “Now is the time to do those things you’ve always wanted to do, build- ing social media connections. It’s OK if it feels awkward and new. Be comfortable being uncomfortable: Just do it!” Following up on that advice, Mornings
with Mayesh episodes have since focused on practical tips for social media strate- gies, including how to create videos (one of the trending formats today). “We are all flower ambassadors,”
said Dahlson. “The more stories and images we put out there, the better positioned we are.” Here’s an encouraging sign that
those stories and images will be well received: “Retailers are telling us that when they started reopening their doors, this is what they heard from customers: ‘We love you and missed you.’ We knew that, but it’s nice to hear it.”
Bruce Wright is a contributing writer for the Society of American Florists.
bwright@safnow.org
The magazine of the Society of American Florists (SAF) 39
QUICK TAKE Mayesh Wholesale Florist
Based in Los Angeles, California, with 19 branch locations in 10 states
Known for: Premium and specialty blooms for weddings and events
Mayesh.com
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