Florists expect to sell more than seven million roses for Sant Jordi

Books, roses, and displays of love are the protagonists of one of the most special days on the Catalan festive calendar. With less than a month to go, the Gremi de Floristes de Catalunya is already preparing for another record-breaking Sant Jordi and expects to reach seven million roses sold throughout Catalonia and 20 million euros in sales, figures that would surpass last year's data. Of the flowers that can be found on the streets during this festivity, 80% come from Ecuador and Colombia, while the rest come from the Netherlands.

As a novelty for this year, the guild, together with Elisava, has created the Rosa de autor (Author's Rose) distinction to identify those artisan and quality flowers sold in professional florists. This seal, inspired by the modernist technique of trencadís, has been created due to the sector's concern about the volume of sales that do not come from florists but from other entities, associations, and even individuals who go out into the streets, often without the necessary administrative authorization.

The objective of these labels is to protect local commerce and the florist profession "against high intrusion," according to the president of the Gremi de Floristes de Catalunya, Joan Guillén. The distinction was designed by Paula Jericó, an Elisava student, and one million are expected to be distributed throughout Catalonia with the forecast "of running out by the end of the day," as detailed by Guillén.

In this regard, the sector has asked the city councils responsible for granting authorizations to sell roses during Sant Jordi's day to act with reasoning "and not to make an offer greater than the demand." In total, in Barcelona there are about 400 florists who annually receive an automatic concession of occupation in front of their establishment, and it is estimated that each year there are about 900 professional sector stalls in the Catalan capital. Throughout Catalonia, it is expected that this year there will be about 2,200 professional sales points.

On the other hand, in 2024, 4,100 rose licenses were granted to individuals, and the guild estimates that 2,000 more stalls sold without the corresponding permit. With these figures, florists represent only 15% of the total stalls for Sant Jordi.