WASHINGTON — Local florists say they are being flooded with orders heading into the Mother's Day weekend after a rough spring.
Floral shops all across the region closed their doors as the coronavirus' spread pushed local governments to create regulations as to how many customers businesses could let inside their buildings.
Many florals shops, like Galleria Florist in Falls Church, placed even more emphasis on their delivery services.
Galleria Florist's owner Alisa Rabinovich said she actually chose to close down her business for a month-and-a-half before Mother's Day because some of her wholesalers had temporarily suspended their operations.
"Everything had to shut down mid-March and there was no way for us to get flowers," she said.
Rabinovich added the coronavirus' spread also resulted in the cancellation of many events that would typically be profitable to floral shops.
"We had thousands and thousands of dollars in losses, because of all the corporate events that had to be canceled for spring, all of the weddings that had to be canceled for spring," she said.
Now, Galleria Florist has been slammed with orders due to the upcoming Mother's Day holiday.
Floral shop Potomac Petals and Plants, in Potomac, has had the same experience, according to florist Elizabeth Cooke.
"Within the past two or three days, we've gotten a couple hundred orders, mainly for Mother's Day," she said.
Cooke believes customers are now buying more flowers because of the coronavirus has caused them to think a little deeper about the well-being of their loved ones.
"People are really thinking about their family members," she said. "(They're) wanting to send a little something and show their love and gratitude."
Both shops say they are hopeful the upcoming holiday is a signal of better things to come for their industry.
"It's sort of a new experience for all of us," Rabinovich said.