It’s Valentine’s week, and by 5am, Ghazipur Phool Mandi is already buzzing as retailers, florists and NCR residents crowd in, hunting for the best blooms. Locally grown roses, bundled in lots of 90, are stacked high and closely guarded by vendors. When a customer questioned the count, one shot back, “Agar iss bundle mein 80 roses nikle, toh paise vaapis kar dunga!” He later added, “Iss baar demand zyada hai aur stock kam, isliye price badh gaya hai. Last year, this bundle ranged between ₹800 and ₹1,200; this year, it costs ₹1,600 to ₹2,000.”
“Red flowers ka demand hai. Studios use all-red blooms like lilies, anthuriums, tulips, carnations, celosia and ranunculus for different arrangements,” says Sandeep from a Ghazipur flower store
‘Roughly 3 lakh roses from bengaluru arrive in Ghazipur daily’“Demand for roses is high this year, however, profits aren’t proportional,” says Asim Kumar Haldar, a vendor, who has been trading in roses for over two decades. He adds, “The day begins at 1.30am, with mini trucks carrying Bengaluru-grown roses arriving by 3am. This year, three to five trucks have been reaching daily with 400-500 boxes. Each box holds 25-30 bunches of 20 roses each – roughly 3 lakh roses from Bengaluru alone.”Phoolchand, a rose vendor at Ghazipur for 20 years, says, “I’m selling a bundle of 90 red roses for ₹1,800 this week. Valentine’s Day se pehle ₹100 bundle bhi bechte hain – yaani ek gulab lagbhag ek rupaye ka.”
Buyers opt for colourful roses
About evolving customer preferences, Avi Kumar, CMO at FNP, says, “Consumer preferences have evolved, but roses remain the emotional anchor of Valentine’s gifting. What’s changed is presentation. Customers are now choosing curated arrangements paired with cakes, chocolates or cards. Gen Z tends to spend less but experiment more, opting for playful formats and a wider palette. Older buyers spend more overall and prefer classic red roses and traditional bouquets.”
More convenience across online platforms, quick commerce and retail has made rose gifting more spontaneous, boosting overall consumption. This Rose Day, we sold 10 lakh roses, with demand skewed towards premium single-stem roses and compact bouquets
Avi Kumar, CMO at FNP
The economics of love
Economics of love₹550 – ₹700Price of a bunch of 20 Tata quality roses from Bengaluru ranges during Valentine’s Week, which marks a 57% increase in the cost from last year, at the Ghazipur Phool Mandi₹50-₹80Per stem is the price at which local florists are selling roses after buying for ₹17-22 from Ghazipur mandi₹100Per stem price is charged by florists in South Ex and Gurgaon₹100- ₹150Per stem price range at NCR flower studios, with bouquet prices varying by arrangement and the mix of roses with exotic flowers like anthuriums and tulips₹10,000-15,000Price of a 100-rose bouquet at Delhi flower studios. At local florists, the price of a 100-rose bouquet costs between ₹6,000 and ₹8,000
‘Consumer preferences have evolved, but roses remain the emotional anchor of Valentine’s gifting’
