Valentine's Day Post-Mortem: What To Do Now That Valentine’s Day is Over
Whether you're breathing a sigh of relief or already dreading next year, this is the moment that matters most. Right now, while everything is fresh in your mind (the triumphs, the disasters, that one arrangement that took way too long, the customer who made your day) you have valuable information that will disappear if you don't capture it.
Think of this post-mortem as a conversation with your future self. Next December or January, when you're planning for Valentine's Day again, you'll desperately wish you could remember: Did those premium roses sell well enough to justify the cost? How many drivers did you actually need? What time did you finally finish deliveries? Was hiring that extra designer worth it?
The florists who grow their businesses year after year aren't necessarily more talented. They're just better at learning from experience. They write things down. They track what worked. They're honest about what flopped. And twelve months later, they have a roadmap instead of vague memories.
So before you finish the clean up, before you move on to the next project, before the details start to blur together, invest an hour in this process. Pour a cup of coffee, pull up your order records, and let's document what really happened.
📊 The Numbers
Start with the hard data. These numbers tell the story of your Valentine's Day performance.
Order Breakdown
Total number of orders: How many orders did you complete?
Number of deliveries: How many went out for delivery?
Number of pickups: How many customers picked up?
Delivery vs. pickup ratio: What percentage of each? Did this match your expectations?
Revenue Analysis
Total income: What was your gross revenue?
Average order value: Divide total income by number of orders. Is this higher or lower than expected?
Size breakdown: How many of each price point did you sell? (For example: how many $60 arrangements vs. $125 arrangements? You don’t have to list every price point. Group by size (orders under $75, $75 - $125, over $200, etc)
Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)
Fresh flowers: What did you spend on all fresh materials?
Hard goods: What did you spend on vases, containers, floral foam, etc.?
Add-ons: What did you spend on chocolates, cards, stuffed animals, etc.?
Total COGS: Add these three categories together
COGS percentage: Divide total COGS by total income. What percentage of your revenue went to materials? (Don’t forget to take sales tax out before dividing!)
Profit Margins
Gross profit: Subtract your total COGS from your Total income (without sales tax)
Gross profit margin: (Gross profit ÷ total income) × 100. What percentage did you keep after paying for materials?
Did this meet your target? In general, you’re aiming for 70% or more gross profit margin (which means 30% spent on COGS)
☁️ Weather Impact
Weather affects everything from delivery timing to customer behavior. Record the conditions for future reference.
Weather conditions each day: Note temperature, precipitation, wind for the week.
How did weather impact deliveries? Were there delays? Safety concerns? Did you need to protect arrangements from the cold?
How did weather impact customer behavior? More pickups than expected? Fewer walk-ins?
What would you do differently in similar weather? Do you need to have cold-weather wraps available? Were tall arrangements difficult to carry in the wind?
👥 Staffing Review
Your team (or lack thereof) can make or break a holiday. Be honest about what worked and what didn't.
Your Regular Day-to-Day Employees
Who worked and in what capacity? Designer, delivery driver, phone support, etc.?
How many hours did each person work?
Performance review: Who excelled? Who struggled? Who would you bring back?
What feedback did employees give you? Were they overwhelmed? Did they have suggestions?
Contract Workers/Helpers
Who helped and in what capacity?
How many hours did each person work?
How much did you pay each person? Record the hourly rate as well as the total amount paid.
Performance review: Would you hire them again? Why or why not?
Staffing Needs for Next Year
Did you have enough help? Where were you short-staffed?
Did you have too much help? Were people standing around with nothing to do?
How many people do you need next year?
What roles do you need filled? Designers, drivers, phone support, processing help?
What hours/days do you need help? All day for the full week? Just delivery times?
🌹 Product Performance
What sold well? What didn't? This section helps you plan better for next year.
Best Sellers
What price points sold best? Did the $200 arrangements fly off the shelf or sit there?
What colors or color schemes were most popular?
What flowers were customer favorites?
What add-ons sold well? (chocolates, cards, etc.)
Why do you think these sold well? Marketing? Pricing? Design?
Worst Sellers
What didn't sell as expected?
Did you have inventory left over? What and how much?
Why do you think these didn't sell? Wrong price point? Poor marketing? Design issues?
Product Quality
How was the quality of your fresh materials? Did everything arrive in good condition?
What flowers did you love working with?
What flowers disappointed you? Poor quality? Didn't open? Short vase life?
Supply chain issues: Did anything arrive late? Wrong quantities? Substitutions needed?
What would you order more of next year?
What would you order less of?
What would you not order again?
What suppliers would you use or not use again?
🚗 Delivery Performance
Delivery logistics can be challenging. Review how it went and plan improvements.
Did you stay on schedule? Were deliveries completed within your promised timeframe?
How long did routes take? Was your time estimate accurate?
Did your routing system work? Or did you waste time backtracking?
Any delivery problems? Wrong addresses, recipient not available, etc.?
Customer feedback on deliveries: Any complaints? Compliments?
What would improve deliveries next year? Better routing? More drivers? Different time windows?
❌ What Went Wrong
Be honest about challenges and problems. This is how you improve.
System failures: What processes broke down or didn’t work?
Systems that broke down: What processes didn't work as planned?
Staffing issues: Where were you understaffed or overstaffed?
Design challenges: What design elements caused problems?
Customer complaints: What feedback did you receive that needs addressing?
Supply problems: What inventory or ordering issues occurred?
Time management: Where did you fall behind schedule?
✅ What Went Right
Celebrate your wins! What systems, decisions, or approaches worked well?
Systems that worked: What processes ran smoothly?
Planning that paid off: What advance preparation made a difference?
Design wins: What aspects of your designs worked well?
Customer service highlights: Any particularly positive interactions?
Marketing success: What marketing efforts paid off?
Personal achievements: What are you proud of?
💭 Other Thoughts
Use this space for any additional observations, ideas, or insights that don't fit into the categories above.
Unexpected surprises: What caught you off guard (good or bad)?
Ideas for next year: What new approaches do you want to try?
Product changes: What would you add, remove, or modify in your offerings?
Pricing adjustments: Do any price points need to change?
Marketing insights: What did you learn about your customers?
Personal reflections: How did you feel throughout the holiday? What would make it better next year?
📋 Action Items for Next Year
Based on your post-mortem, create a specific action plan. These are the concrete changes you'll implement for next Valentine's Day.
[ ] Ordering changes: List specific flowers or colors to order more/less of, suppliers to use/avoid
[ ] Staffing plan: Note how many people you need, what roles, and when to hire them & how much training is needed
[ ] System improvements: Identify which processes need to be updated or created
[ ] Marketing adjustments: Plan which marketing strategies to continue, modify, or eliminate
[ ] Product line changes: Decide which designs to keep, modify, or remove
[ ] Pricing updates: Note any price points that need adjustment