“People in Chennai have started giving flowers on many special days, apart from birthdays and anniversaries. We eagerly wait for Valentine’s Day, International Women’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Friendship Day when sales peak,” says Prakash, who has been running Prema Flower Cart on Anna Nagar’s Fifth Avenue for the last six years. “Even small corporate companies nearby buy a bunch of blooms from me for their employees on Women’s Day,” he says.
Mr. Prakash doesn’t often visit Koyambedu; instead, he receives fresh stocks directly from a flower dealer in Hosur. Besides selling roses, sunflowers, gerberas, and lilies, Prakash and his wife make bouquets by the road. “We prepare a few bouquets in the morning, hoping that customers will stop by for one. We often have customers buying bouquets on their way to a function,” he says.
Switching jobs
Mr. Prakash switched from a retail job to running a flower cart. Being a florist means being away from the city’s hectic life, spending more time with his family since the flower cart itself is a family business. “People asked why I should switch from retail sales to selling flowers, but it was a passion to start something of my own, even if it is only a roadside shop. I taught myself making bouquets. When it comes to flowers, both the seller and the buyer find joy in the exchange,” he says.
Manu, another bouquet seller on the Fifth Avenue, tells a different story. “There is no proper sleep in this line of work because we have to wake up early. Some customers in Chennai prefer flowers from the high-end shops with fancy names, although we offer the same quality. We just don’t have the money to build the store,” says Mr. Manu, who runs his uncle’s shop. On some days, he sees around 10 customers, while on other days, no one comes at all, leaving him in constant anticipation.
Only local products
Old-school floristry still thrives for Gandhinathan, of Kurinchi Florist, on the Fourth Avenue. He has had his shop for the past 18 years, relying on local flowers rather than exotic imports. “Around two decades ago, someone from Australia visited Chennai to teach bouquet-making. This gave me all the knowledge needed to start my shop using flowers sourced from within the southern States,” he explains. “Chennaiites used to prefer basket bouquets, but the trend is changing; many request for flowers simply tied with a ribbon.”
“On special days like Valentine’s Day, the demand soars, but flower prices also spike at Koyambedu, forcing us to increase our rates,” he says. Despite the changing trends in making bouquets, Gandhinathan notes that classic roses and gerberas remain timeless, as they were when he first started selling flowers decades ago.
