ROANOKE, Va. – Valentine’s Day is a week away so of course, local businesses are hard at work.
Cuts Creative Owner Mark Campbell has been in the flower industry for almost 40 years, and he’s preparing for yet another Valentine’s.
Each year comes with its own challenges, Campbell said. This year, he’s dealing with some shipping delays and product shortages.
“There has been some flowers that’s not going to be available,” Campbell said. “If it is, it’s in very short supply. That’s one reason we try to plan a little bit earlier.”
Wax flowers are among those in short supply, he said.
As far as staffing goes, Campbell said he’ll be bringing in extra help on the special day — four to five extra delivery drivers and two to three more flower designers. While he has all his staff in place, that may not be the case for some this year.
“A lot of times it hard to get employees for flower shops,” Campbell said. “People don’t tend to navigate into this for a career as they have in years past.”
But on Valentine’s Day, business still booms. Over at Chocolate Paper, they’ve opened on Mondays to accommodate the extra traffic the holiday brings for their sweets and cards.
“We have been really busy,” Sales Manager at Chocolate Paper Gabrielle Strickler said. “Especially within the past few weeks, everybody’s trying to get some last minute chocolates.”
Both businesses said they’re looking forward to serving the community for yet another Valentine’s Day.