Coronavirus impacting Mother's Day flower sales

CHICAGO - Mother’s Day is Sunday and while the coronavirus may be affecting your plans, it is also impacting florists all across Chicago.

Daniel Krupinski has owned Robert Daniels Florist in the Loop for the past 30 years. So far this year, his sales are down about 70 percent because of the coronavirus.

He has never experienced anything like it.

“This is the only time ever that I ever thought I would lose my business, it's that--it's very, very, very severe,” Krupinski said.

While florists are considered non-essential businesses, they can process online and phone orders for pickup and delivery. This is crucial as Krupinski says Mother's Day is his second largest holiday all year.

The shop offers pickup and no-contact delivery, and the limited staff working on arrangements wear masks.

A couple of miles away, the team at Steve’s Flower Market in West Town is also wearing masks and assembling orders for curbside pickup and delivery.

Owner Steve Ziemba says sales this year are down about 40 to 50 percent because of COVID-19.

“We lost all that wedding party business, you know, and then we lost a lot of restaurant business,” Ziemba said.

But he is trying to stay positive. Zimeba says he has about three-times the amount of Mother’s Day sales compared to last year. He thinks the increase is because other shops are closed.

“I want to keep my help working, you know? And I got bills to pay and a family to feed,” Ziemba said.

Now if you're wondering is it safe to send flowers during the pandemic, the Society of American Florists says there is no evidence to indicate that the virus can be transmitted on flowers.