The number of traditional high street florists in the UK has fallen by roughly a third since 2016, according to new research released by online faux flower retailer The Faux Flower Company.
The figures show that the number of bricks-and-mortar florist shops has dropped from over 8,000 in 2016 to around 5,500 today. Closures accelerated through the Brexit transition period, when the British Florist Association reported as many as five high street florists closing per week, and continued into the pandemic years.
Fresh flower retail revenue is forecast to contract at a rate of 0.6% per year through to 2025–26, with supermarkets and online florists identified as the main beneficiaries of lost footfall. The UK already has the highest proportion of supermarket flower sales in the world, with supermarkets accounting for around 54% of all purchases, compared to 14% in France and 20% in the Netherlands.
The research points to faux flowers as the category capturing a growing share of displaced consumer spend. The UK artificial flower market was valued at $314.7 million in 2023 and is projected to reach $429.3 million by 2030, growing at 4.8% per year or eight times faster than the contraction in fresh flower retail.
Rachel Dunn, Head of Product at The Faux Flower Company, said: “The high street florist has served communities well for generations, but the economics have become very difficult. What the data shows is that a meaningful share of the spend that used to go to local florists is now going online, and a growing portion of that is going to faux rather than fresh. Consumers are becoming more comfortable with quality artificial flowers as an everyday purchase, not just an occasional one.”
Dunn added: “The consumer trading up to a quality faux arrangement is often the same consumer who used to buy fresh flowers from a local florist. They want something that looks considered and lasts. The faux flower category has improved enough in the past five years that it genuinely meets that expectation.”