Supermarkets Launch Roses Price War Ahead Of Valentines Day

Tue, 08 Feb 2011

Supermarkets have begun the annual battle for Valentines Day custom by slashing the price of roses .

According to Scottish newspaper Daily Record, the cheapest bunch is currently available at discount retailer Lidl . Their 12 red roses from Kenya cost £2.99, including gypsophilia .

Asda shoppers can pick up a bunch of red roses, soruced from Kenya, Colombia and Uganda, for £4, while Sainbsury is offering its Fairtrade roses, also from Kenya, for £4.99 – the same price as Aldi’s selection.

A dozen red roses with gypsophila are available for £5 at Morrisons, while Tesco is set to announce special offer prices on its roses later this week.

Sunday Mail columnist Nick Priestly said: "Supermarkets can sell red roses so cheaply because they are buying in large quantities."

"They do deals with growers and half the time the bouquets are a loss leader to get you into the store to buy other things."

"If the blooms are coming from further afield - rather than Holland, where most florist-bought roses are sourced - the flowers travel more air miles to get to the UK, which creates carbon dioxide emissions causing climate change."

"But Dutch flowers are given artificial light and heat to grow them, whereas in places like Kenya they use sunshine. So there's a big question mark over whether it balances out."

The Daily Record reports that Britons spend nearly £8m on roses in the run-up to Valentine's Day, and with demand so high, some customers can find themselves paying up to £6 a rose at high street florists .
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