Flowers are still very much in full bloom at Lustre Blooms.
While many of life’s milestones are unable to be celebrated during the COVID-19 pandemic, florist owner Bridgette McLachlan said locals are still shopping for flowers for their loved ones.
“Floristry-wise, it [the pandemic] hasn’t really affected us other than the fact we are unable to book weddings,“ she said.
“Normally this time of the year, we have half, if not all, of the upcoming season at least booked.
“I know a lot of other businesses are booking weddings but we just see it as a little bit too risky.
“Couples have been completely understanding that we don’t want to be taking deposits.”
Ms McLachlan said if anything, more people were turning to florists to help them send special messages to their family and friends because they can’t see them during the strict lockdown.
“In terms of the retail side of things, it has gone up because people cannot see each other,” she said.
“There are a lot of really beautiful gifts that are being sent. People are saying ‘we are still thinking of you’ or ‘congratulations on the baby’ or ‘congratulations on the engagement’.
“Younger guys are sending flowers to their grandmothers, so it has been really nice.”
In a world where face-to-face meetings have become restricted, Ms McLachlan has adapted her business to an online platform and has begun sending dry flowers to customers all over Australia.
She said changing the way a business worked and locals supporting small businesses as much as they could, was the key to keeping a business afloat during these uncertain times.
“If you have been thinking about your mum or you have been looking at your kitchen bench and want to put a plant on it, then definitely get out there and reach out to those local businesses in any way you can,” she said.
“A lot of businesses have pushed to online so we are shipping dry flowers all over the country.
“I think it all comes down to adapting and widening your net as far as you can to allow for more customers to reach you.”
Lustre Blooms, 65 Myers Street, Geelong
