Blooming romantic

THE kingdom's florists are working overtime to meet the demand from customers determined to 'say it with flowers' on Valentine's Day.

The rush for chocolates, flowers and other traditional gifts in the lead up to February 14 is proving so great that some stores have increased their imports and others have asked staff to work overtime.

Store manager Steve Vlajic of Singapore Flowers in Adliya says he has imported 10 per cent more flowers than last year to satisfy the growing number of 'late customers' he predicts will be looking for the perfect bouquet to woo a loved one.

He said: "We have already had a lot of pre-orders for our various packages, but most people wait until the last minute.

"We have imported more flowers than last year to ensure customers are not disappointed because Valentine's Day is the busiest day of the year for us, even the three days before are hectic.

"The rush is so great that we have even asked our staff to work overtime to meet the demand."

Meanwhile, Rolanda Chocolates and Flowers, also in Adliya, echoed these sentiments, claiming that despite the recession there have been online bookings for Valentine's Day bouquets since December.

Last year, the store imported around 250,000 flowers just for Valentine's Day and aims to match that figure this year. Manager Rola Adnan claims that last minute shoppers on Valentine's Day are often the most romantic.

"Lots of customers wait until the last minute to purchase their gifts but these last minute shoppers ironically tend to be the most romantic," she claims.

Last year, the company was asked to cover an entire apartment in Amwaj with 5,000 red roses.

The man who made the request wanted his wife's feet to touch nothing but petals on the day.

This romantic gesture came with a price tag of BD7,500 - the biggest single order the store has ever had. So far this year the biggest order has been for 350 red roses, although Ms Adnan claims that if past experience is anything to go by, the biggest orders are yet to come.

Meanwhile, chocolateirs have seen an influx of business from people who are sweet on the idea of tempting their partners with tasty products.

Hotel Chocolat, located in Bahrain City Centre, has launched a range of special promotions for the occasion.

The company describes its Sealed With A Kiss package as 'our most glamorous collection of chocolates, specially selected for those hopelessly and deliciously head-over-heels'. It includes liquid caramels, melting pralines and truffles in chocolate hearts and is available for BD40.

Maya La Chocolaterie has launched its order only Bundle of Love package for BD60, which includes a mixed selection of exotic, heart-shaped chocolates. For Romeos on a budget, Maya is also preparing a Be Mine chocolate cake with strawberry filling priced only BD4.

Managing director Hamad Janahi says that sales have increased by around 30 per cent since the beginning of February and are expected to rise even further before Valentine's Day.

"We had to increase the products of our retail section by 60 per cent to meet the demand," he said.