Valentine’s Day for most people is a time for romance and relaxation, but for several businesses it is a time of craziness trying to provide gifts for local lovers.
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Balloon Worx will be heads down, tails up from Thursday, when co-owner Clint Ekert will leave Cessnock at 4.30am to pick up roses from Sydney.
The extended training hours begin Thursday too, with the store being open 8am-6pm Thursday and Friday, 8am-3pm Saturday and from 6am Sunday.
But it is a lot of behind the scenes work that goes into the huge working days, with de-thorning roses, allocating packaging, writing up cards and planning delivery runs.
“The more we plan the easier the day is,” Clint said.
“The actual day is pretty cruisy.”
Clint has run Balloon Worx with his mum Judy for 11 years, so they have seen their fair share of Valentine’s scenarios including love triangles, gift refusals, secret admirers and the like, but they maintain discretion at all times.
They said women tend to buy their gifts a few days out, with men generally buying later and even coming in after night-shift in their high-vis clothing on Valentine’s Day morning.
But Clint and Judy said they are happy to help anyone, from a young kid who comes in with $10 in their pocket to an older person who is celebrating their 50th Valentine’s Day.
“It’s the customers that we love helping,” Judy said, adding that it is a great day to support local people and small businesses.
“Lots of people don’t agree with it [Valentine’s Day] but if we’ve got one day to say ‘I love you’ then what’s wrong with that?”
And while it will be all hands on deck, including friends and family helping out, they say it is a pretty fun and exciting atmosphere to work in.
Bluebird Florist also anticipates a full-on schedule in the lead-up, with some even requesting early deliveries to their partner’s workplaces during the week for an additional wow factor.
This will be staff member Helen Howard’s 16th Valentine’s Day at Bluebird Florist, and she said staff have been in the store as late as 3.15am in previous years preparing for the day.
Red roses are an obvious favourite at the florist, but the business has seen a rise in rainbow roses too, with pre-packed items an easy gift as well.
Their clientele also includes tourists visiting the Hunter Valley on a romantic getaway, and even people coming in the day after who forgot about Valentine’s Day.
One younger male has ordered 99 roses for his loved one, and staff say also they get some old romantics and mothers buying on behalf of their sons.
Bluebird Florist will be operating extending trading hours this week, from 7am-5pm Saturday and from 7am onwards Sunday.
Helen said the experience is a good team-building exercise, and that staff get through the day with the help of lollies.
Both Balloon Worx and Bluebird Florist will be taking orders right through Valentine’s Day, with online and phone orders available at each business.
For Balloon Worx call 4991 3045, text 0400 158 323 or visit www.balloonworx.com.au and for Bluebird Florist call 4990 5641 or visit www.bluebirdfloristcessnock.com.au.