Onamia floral business keeps busy amid pandemic
“From the beginning, it’s been a bit surreal,” said Mary Pat Sorvik. She recalls the date lockdown began on March 20, not only because of the radical impact COVID-19 has had on society, but also because it was the day her husband passed away. Like many business owners, Sorvik has also seen a shift in her business due to the pandemic. This August was the 35th year Sorvik has been running Sunshine Flower Shoppe in Onamia, and with COVID-19 prompting an increase of orders for floral deliveries, Sorvik, now busier than ever, has noted, “Flower power is alive and well.”
Easter and Mother’s Day
Following the shutdown resulting from Gov. Walz’s executive order, Sorvik said she looked into what businesses were able to remain open. Agricultural businesses were included, and she noted that horticulture fell under that same umbrella. Sorvik described the first two weeks after the lockdown as quiet, and she ran her in-store services via appointment while also offering 24-hour phone service. It was her suppliers, she said, who reached out to the Governor, explaining that the majority of floralists could operate through touch-free delivery. In response, floral shops like Sorvik’s were able to open up prior to Easter on April 12.
“Once people found out florists were delivering,” Sorvik said, “if [your business] was prepared at all, you had a good Easter.” While she had fewer walk-ins during this time, she had far more deliveries. Aiding this shift in business was cooperative weather conditions, allowing the shop to drop off the deliveries outside people’s homes. She added that, rather than travel, many customers seemed to elect to send their loved ones flowers and plants, contributing to April’s surge in business.
“Of course, we didn’t get the Easter lilies to the churches,” Sorvik said. “I felt bad for the growers because they probably dumped a lot of lilies.” Wryly, she noted that these lilies are usually sold at a discount, which made another small contribution to this April’s profits. Sorvik recalled a number of people who called in to thank the shop after receiving their Easter deliveries. “They were just thrilled,” she said. “It was only three weeks after lockdown, and they weren’t expecting it. This Easter was different, very different.”
Following Easter, the shop did miss both Administrative Professionals Day and the local proms which are otherwise big events for the shop. Sorvik lamented not being able to help the kids get dressed up for the latter event.
However, Sorvik then set her sights on Mother’s Day, stating she planned for the day as usual. “Everyone who sends flowers to their mothers was still going to do it,” she explained. She called on helping hands who have previously prepared for the holiday, and the crew stocked the greenhouse. “We had a fantastic Mother’s Day week,” she said. Sorvik had ordered the same amount of cut flowers as years past and then needed a late Saturday shipment from her supplier to meet the demand.
Summer season
After Mother’s Day, Sunshine Flower Shoppe again stocked its greenhouse for Memorial Day and the summer season. “With everyone staying home and gardening,” Sorvik said, “we restocked the greenhouse three times and were completely sold out by June 1.” In a usual year, Sorvik said the shop tries to keep a few items, including planters, stocked up through the Fourth of July as cabin-goers in the area often will often stop in to buy plants through that period.
While things quieted down during June, the months of July and August saw the shop start to pick up funerals. “People were saying, ‘We don’t want to wait,’” Sorvik said. Though these events were scaled down, deliveries were still sent out to city parks, grave sides and cemeteries. At the same time, Sorvik said brides began coming in saying they’d rather have a small wedding than no wedding.
Throughout the pandemic, the shop has had a handful of supply chain issues, leaving certain types of plants unavailable at times. Some growers have cut back on their planting, Sorvik noted. South America in particular was a notable supplier of cut flowers, and the prevalence of the pandemic in those countries has impacted availability. Green and tropical plants from Florida have also been harder to come by due to the outbreak in that state. Where such shortages were concerned, Sorvik said it required some creative switching to alternatives.
‘The good that’s come out of this’
Besides these major milestones, Sorvik said the shop was still providing for birthdays as their number one event. Additionally, Sorvik has seen an increase in orders meant to show others they were being thought of. “People will say, ‘I just need to cheer them up. They’re kind of depressed,’” Sorvik said. These orders were particularly common for elderly individuals who weren’t getting as many visits.
As for their general operations, Sorvik said the shop has tried to encourage people to call ahead and make appointments for special occasions, and people have generally been good about calling ahead. “You try to think of the good things that have come out of this,” she said. Sorvik felt her customers have been caring and considerate, noting that customers will call ahead to see if the store was open for walk-ins.
“I love what I do but have had thoughts of retirement,” Sorvik explained. “But until someone else steps up to the plate, I’m going to be here to offer this service to the community for as long as I’m healthy.” Reflecting on her husband’s passing, she somberly mused that the store has always been a mom and pop shop, but now pop is gone. Sorvik said she’s been busier than ever, and she’s been genuinely grateful to have a business to run. “It’s kept me from being depressed.”
Looking to the future, Sorvik said she was planning Thanksgiving and Christmas like last year, and she foresaw her business returning to as normal as possible. “You’ve got to be creative, resilient, and always have a plan B,” she concluded.
The Link LonkSeptember 30, 2020 at 06:00PM
https://www.messagemedia.co/millelacs/community/features/flower-power-is-alive-and-well/article_71ab15e4-0268-11eb-981c-1f1afebe4b4e.html
'Flower Power is alive and well' | Features | messagemedia.co - Aitkin Independent Age
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