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12 November | 2022 Feature insurance or utility bills and can just sell fl owers and see what customers want." In just a few years, Gaspar saved enough money—and generated a loyal clientele—to open his own fl oral shop called, natch, Angelina's Petals. He also was impacted by the "pop-up" experience, especially during the pandemic. "I realized that a lot of shops had closed and people were out of work," he says. "I started asking smaller food markets if they wanted to have a fl ower section, to split costs and make sales." Now, aside from his brick-and-mortar shop in uptown NYC, he also has a "pop-up" fl ower shop at e Market @ Mercedes House in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood on the West Side of Midtown Manhattan, and he is looking for other places for this model. Al Vora, owner of e Market @ Mercedes House, says that customers like seeing Gaspar's fl owers when they enter the store. " ere's defi nitely a wow factor, and people like it," he says. "A friend gave me a chance, and now I want to be the person helping others to sell fl owers in these markets," he shares. "Flowers are therapy, in many ways." And they are good for sales, too. Vora says the relationship is mutually benefi cial. During the pandemic, supermarkets were a refuge and where customers started buying more fl owers as indulgences for themselves. Grocery stores have now evolved to be one-stop-shopping experiences. " ese days, we're competing not only with the bigger supermarkets but also with Target and Walmart," Vora says. "Having fl owers keeps us competitive by off ering something special." For Vora, choosing someone like Gaspar proves that the design-focused fl orist is an added bonus for customers. LaManna agrees with this strategy. " e fl orists at these stores know how to process and care for fl owers," she says. is also makes the fl ower experience more of a boutique special purchase than at the large supermarkets. In fact, at some stores, according to the International Fresh Produce Association ( formerly the Produce Marketing Association), cut fl owers may account for only "1 percent to 3 percent of total sales, but get a gross margin of 47 percent." FLOWER TRUCKS Although the demand for "pop-up" fl ower areas in stores is likely to expand in 2023, the old-fashioned fun pickup truck is still as popular as ever. Not only are they used to develop small businesses but "pop-up" trucks are now rented out, creating another revenue source. In Boise, Idaho, Roni Pladsen, who owns Posy Blue, rents out the fl ower-fi lled truck to come to wedding showers, birthday parties or any celebration, to create fl ower activities. Charlotte Hall, managing director of Alexandria, Va.'s Old Town Business association, was a fan of pop-up fl ower trucks when a main street was converted, in 2020, for pedestrians to eat and enjoy activities. She endorsed Lily's Flower Truck, which is now a fan favorite and was started by Catherine Soltesz in June 2020. Furloughed during the pandemic in the spring of 2020, Soltesz decided to experiment with her passion for fl owers and, as she says, "bring happiness to others." It now has become a popular weekend activity. Hall says that Lily's Flower Truck has been a great addition. "We can support pop-up fl ower trucks, and then, in time, [an owner] may rent a store and become a business in the neighborhood." Soltesz has been expanding her business and has purchased a second truck, which travels throughout Washington, D.C.; Maryland; and Virginia. " e demand for beautiful fl owers continues to grow," Bentley's Flower Truck, Corpus Cristi, Texas

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