Flowers more popular than usual this Valentine's Day, experts say

This Valentine’s Day, flowers are even more popular than usual, experts say – and that includes at the Safeway on King Street in Alexandria.

"We have been busy running and refreshing all of our displays, filling up the arrangements, filling up the flowers as we go because just people have been in here all day," said Floral Assistant Sales Manager Tara McPhate.

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And it’s not just because of the holiday rush. McPhate added that flower sales have been up more than 25 percent since the pandemic began. She thinks it’s because with so many people stuck inside, they want their homes to look nice.

"Like all of our regular grocery shoppers, they’re just grabbing stuff as they go," she explained.

The store has plenty of options, from red roses that go for $19.99 per bunch to handmade arrangements that vary in cost. Not to mention, flowers aren’t the only gift seeing a pandemic spike.

"Balloon sales have been one of our biggest increases for the pandemic," said McPhate.

On Friday afternoon, plenty of customers came in to buy both, but without a doubt – Devon Jackson is looking like he’ll have the most memorable Valentine’s Day of them all.

"We just got home from the hospital," he told FOX 5, explaining that his girlfriend had just given birth to a baby boy. Then he laughed, "she literally just told me to get up and go get her something for Valentine’s Day, and I had to say 'yes.'"