UPS to deliver an estimated 88 million flowers for Valentine’s Day

UPS will be delivering an estimated 88 million flowers for Valentine’s Day this year, according to the company.

Referring to its global “lovegistics” network, a pun just about tacky enough to suit the occasion, UPS emphasises that speed is of the essence in order to keep the flowers fresh.

“Delivery must move at the speed of ‘love at first sight’,” says Frank Diaz, global marketing manager for UPS Americas, who reportedly has giant lovehearts for eyes. “This is why we rev up our operations to move more than 514,000 boxes of flowers. We take helping love bloom seriously.”

The company will handle more than 8 million pounds in flowery weight, which, it says, is enough to fill roughly 64 wide-body Boeing 767s.

Many of the flowers are shipped from growing fields in Latin America, via Miami International Airport. The flowers have to be transported in temperature-controlled vehicles and aircraft and stored in refrigerated warehouses.

US customers are expected to spend around $19.6 billion on Valentine’s Day gifts this year, according to the National Retail Federation, as cited by UPS. Flowers account for approximately ten percent of this amount.

(Source: UPS)