Flower Trade Blossoms On Valentine's Day

It's the time of the year again when floral businesses around Hong Kong blossom particularly for Valentine's Day.

Despite warnings of a softer economy for the city ahead, starry-eyed people were in the mood for love and flower shops did a brisk trade on Thursday.

Yeung, a manager of a florists on Lyndhurst Terrace, said she found business quite good this year, and they were delivering roughly a thousand bouquets on Valentine's Day.

""Prices are a bit more extreme. So some are getting more conservative. On the other hand, people who're looking for more bespoke bouquets are actually willing to pay much more than previous years," she said.

An owner of two flower shops in Central, surnamed Tsang, said his staff had to work overnight for this day.

He was happy with the 400 orders he received from individual clients and restaurants this year.

But another shop owner felt some people were spending less this year.

"Let's say, last year people [were] willing to pay HK$1,500 to HK$2,000. This year people try to pay around HK$1,000," he said.

And it wasn't just young people flocking to the shops. One woman told RTHK's Joanne Wong that she was buying flowers for her children aged four and two.

"I love the concept behind it. Every day should be of course a day that you celebrate love. But I think on Valentine's Day it's just lovely to have a little bit more of a token," she said.