This year the California Cut Flower Commission will celebrate 25 years of advocacy and promotion on behalf of California’s flower farmers. At the time the commission was established in 1990, George H.W. Bush was president, Operation Desert Shield was under way, “Law & Order” premiered on NBC, Walmart opened its first store in California and domestic flowers still represented the majority of flowers sold in the United States. Since then, innovation, consumer demand and federal trade policy have all significantly affected the United States floral industry.

Flower importers are faced with a situation that they have not been faced with in the past. The importers, through the Association of Floral Importers of Florida, are meeting with all the major flower airlines in order to work more closely with the importers’ major partners. The airlines are faced with more products competing for northbound space and less southbound cargo, so things have changed over the years for airline space for flowers.

Trends are always fluid in that they have no start or end date and the consumer dictates what will be a success. Style trends are defined as a general direction for a period of three to five years, after which a style is considered a classic. Style trends are highly volatile, with many variables, such as socio-economic and cultural design risk.

The year 2014 has been one of many challenges for those who are in the business of distributing fresh flowers in the United States. In short, their costs are higher and their customer base is declining.

As we turn the page from 2014 into 2015, the industry will leave a few trends and carry forward some others. In 2015 we’ll see a continued movement away from bright and flashy colors toward more subdued and muted tones.

The year 2014 started out hopefully and a bit gingerly; business steadily picked up steam, almost roaring into the second half of the year. Industry segment after industry segment began to realize that full-fledged relief from flat sales could be here to stay. As the calendar turns to 2015, Florida sales across-the-board are solid.