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'Perfect Storm' Could Put Damper On Valentine's Day Sales

Valentine's Day
Leoneda Inge

Florists across the state are working overtime to make sure the snow storm doesn’t wipe out Valentine’s Day sales.

A steady stream of customers in Chapel Hill made their way through the slush of melting snow to grab some flowers.

Charles House owns University Florist and Gifts on Franklin Street.  He says the snow and ice couldn’t have come at a worse time.

“It hindered people from coming in to be able to help us out, it also hindered any kind of delivery operation that we might have.  It’s just sort of like the perfect storm, so to speak," said House.

House says he hired a couple more delivery drivers to help get Valentine bouquets out the door.  Florists across the state are reporting many flower deliveries won’t be made until this weekend, if not canceled.

Fallon's Flowers in Raleigh told the Associated Press they called every customer with an order to make alternative delivery arrangements.

University Florist and Gifts has a message on its website that says they are unable to take orders online because of the inclement weather. 

Valentine's Day flower receipts come up to almost $2 billion dollars nationwide and can account for ten percent or more in annual sales for a small business.

Leoneda Inge is the co-host of WUNC's "Due South." Leoneda has been a radio journalist for more than 30 years, spending most of her career at WUNC as the Race and Southern Culture reporter. Leoneda’s work includes stories of race, slavery, memory and monuments. She has won "Gracie" awards, an Alfred I. duPont Award and several awards from the Radio, Television, Digital News Association (RTDNA). In 2017, Leoneda was named "Journalist of Distinction" by the National Association of Black Journalists.
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