Now that the covid crisis seems to be overcome and restrictions allow for some mobility, the sale of roses during Sant Jordi will recover a bit after the lows recorded in 2020. Mercabarna-flor companies expect to sell about 4.2 million roses throughout Catalonia. This figure is higher than the 1.2 million units sold last year, but it is still lower than in 2019, when seven million roses were sold.
This year, we will not find the typical rose stalls of associations and teenagers when we walk through the streets of Barcelona, as only florists will be allowed to sell, helping to recover a part of the sales lost in the last year. "Above all, we want this Sant Jordi to be safe and, for that reason, three days will be dedicated to celebrating it, April 21, 22 and 23, and only professionals in the sector will have authorizations to have rose stalls on the street," explains the president of Mercabarna and Councilor for Commerce, Montserrat Ballarín.
Likewise, as a consequence of mobility restrictions due to covid and the fear of crowds, a large part of purchases are expected to be made online. This year, the Guild of Florists of Catalonia has created the portal Som Floristes, in collaboration with Tiendeo, to share the locations and products of florists, and promote local commerce.
Regarding the origin of the roses that will be marketed this year, Colombia, Holland and Ecuador account for 62%, 23% and 12% of the market share, respectively. Only 3% of the roses will be of national origin.
The most commercialized varieties will be the Freedom, of Colombian and Ecuadorian origin, which will account for 80% of red rose sales, and the Dutch Red Naomi, which will take 15% of the total. This year, white roses are expected to have a special prominence to thank the healthcare staff for their work during the pandemic. Florists also expect the trend of gifting roses with a larger flower or vintage colors, and gifting miniature rose bushes, to continue.