LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) — Mother’s Day is almost here, but you may have to pay a little extra this year to get something special for the mom in your life.
“Normally we’re open from 9 to 5, but Mother’s Day we’re here at 5 o’clock in the morning,” said Josy Johnson, owner of A Beautiful California Florist.
However, this year, the shop faces a new challenge — rising tariff taxes. The recent increase on imported goods has forced Johnson to increase her prices by 10%.
“A bunch of roses normally is $15 to $25. Now, it goes for $35 to $45 a bunch,” she said.
“Unfortunately, it’s trickled down in a bad way. It comes from the top, from Washington, and now we’re dealing with the reality of tariffs and the problems it’s causing,” said Tom Johnson, manager at A Beautiful California Florist.
Ecuador and Colombia are two of the world’s leading exporters of cut flowers. But with added tariff costs, fewer shipments are arriving, making flower supplies unpredictable.
“Most of my suppliers cannot promise if I’m going to have some roses or even another flower like orchids, which they also have to import. And when they get here, the prices are through the roof,” Johnson said.
“We’ve been having problems with our suppliers, where a lot of our roses, of course, are coming from Ecuador and South America and right now the tariff is 10%, but maybe tomorrow, hey, maybe it will go up to 20 or 50 or like in China… 145%,” said Tom Johnson.
Despite the challenge, the shop is determined to make this Mother’s Day special. Staff members are working around the clock to design elegant arrangements.
“We’re trying to hold our line and we’ll try our best. But don’t worry, it doesn’t matter how much you have, come on and see us, we’re going to get you something beautiful for mom and appreciate her for Mother’s Day,” said Tom.
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