Kenilworth flower shop prepares for last minute lockdown Valentine's Day orders

A Kenilworth flower shop is gearing up for its first ever lockdown Valentine’s Day and is preparing to support customers who leave it right until the last moment.

The Orangery at Talisman Shopping Centre has been open in the town for 10 years and will be on standby to rush out with deliveries until midday on Valentine’s Day this Sunday.

The shop has been closed to customers for the majority of the last 12 months due to Covid-19 restrictions, but owner Gabrielle Parry has used the time to drive development in different areas of the business.

This included launching the shop’s first ever click and collect service, a new website and expanding its home delivery offering.

Provided the shop still has stock on Sunday morning, they will be open for click and collect, giving an emergency solution for anyone in Kenilworth who has made the fateful error of forgetting Valentine’s Day.

Gabrielle said that it is usual for customers to leave it until the last minute for Valentine’s Day and she is expecting a busy weekend of orders.

“We’ve had a few pre-orders so far, but you always find that people call up in a mad panic the day before to order a bouquet or gift for their loved one,” she said.

“Lockdown has been hard for us, as it has been for most businesses, but it’s allowed us to build different areas of our business and the new click and collect service has been a great success.

“We’re not a traditional flower shop, we sell exotic, unusual and contemporary designs, and these are proving really popular so far this year.

“It’s difficult with customers not coming into the shop because we’re a very visual retailer, but our stock is available online from flowers and plants to ornaments and candles.

“Roses are always popular on Valentine’s Day, but this year we are seeing interest in our more exotic flowers too. We have also teamed up with Church Farm Brewery to try and incentivise men to get their orders in early.

“We’ll keep selling flowers on Valentine’s Day until we sell out! It’s a huge day for our profession and holds even more significance given the pressures that have been put on the business over the last 12 months.”

Talisman Shopping Centre in the heart of Kenilworth is home to well-known high street names and smaller local businesses.

Hugo Hawkings, chief executive of Discovery Properties – the developers of Talisman Shopping Centre, added: “It has been a really difficult year for many of our retailers but we have seen businesses use the time to introduce new services and thrive during lockdown.

“The Orangery is a great example with their new click and collect and delivery service, which we’re sure will prove really beneficial leading up to Valentine’s Day.”

To find out more about The Orangery go to: www.theorangeryflowershop.com