Results revealed: how much you charge for buttonholes & corsages

It’s difficult for small business owners to discuss pricing structures publicly, so as leaders in the corsage and buttonhole world we decided to survey our customers to help guide florists on making those important decisions. The results have allowed us to pin down a set of average prices among British florists, however they also showed huge amounts of discrepancy with large ranges between different florists’ rates. Naming your price depends on a number of factors; overheads, location, peak times, design style and size should all come into account, and our research proves that one size certainly doesn’t fit all. Here’s what we found. Key points explained

• The results show a lot of variation and a large range between the most common prices charged. Simple carnation buttonhole prices range from £1 all the way through to £12. There was a particularly large amount of discrepancy between prices from those who work from home as opposed to florists working in a shop.
• The average* price of a simple carnation buttonhole is around £4.20.
• The average* price of an upgraded mixed buttonhole is £7.92.
• The average* price of a wrist corsage is £14.78.
• The largest chunk of responders, 37%, mark-up accessories and extras by x2. The second most popular mark-up choice is x2.5, voted for by 30% of responders.
• The majority (around 67%) of participants charge between £2 and £4.99 for a simple carnation buttonhole.
• Surprisingly, florists who work in shop premises - with rent and overheads to pay - charge on average slightly less for a buttonhole than those who work from home.
• Comparing florists based in a rural, town and city area; those who work in a rural area charge the smallest amount, those in a town slightly more, and those in a city charge the most with £9.36 being the average price for an upgraded buttonhole.
• Those who work in a shop said the most popular mark-up for accessories is x2, while those who work from home gave x1.5.

About the participants

Click here or hit the button below to find out much more about what sort of business our participants run; whether it's from a shop or home premises, the sort of work they do, the amount of buttonholes they sell, the location they're in and whether they're in a town, city or rural area. Corsage Creations sell the widest range of wrist corsage bracelets, all of which come with a special plastic attachment designed for gluing fresh flowers onto.

How much they charge

How much do they charge for a simple wired buttonhole with a single low-end priced stem (e.g. carnation)?

• The average* (mean) price of a simple carnation buttonhole is around £4.20.
• The majority (around 67%) of participants charge between £2 and £4.99 for a simple buttonhole.
• £4 to £4.99 is the most common price for a simple buttonhole, with a quarter of responders giving this answer.
• 7% of responders charge £1 to £1.99 for a simple buttonhole.
• Just over a quarter (around 27%) of responders charge between £5 and £12.99 for a simple buttonhole.
• None of our responders charge more than £13 for a simple buttonhole.
• Several participants said that accessories such as beads and extra flowers are charged as extra.

How much do they charge for an upgraded buttonhole (e.g. mixed flowers, unusual design, higher-value flower)?

• The average* (mean) price of an upgraded rose buttonhole is £7.92.
• Just over half (around 56%) of participants charge between £6 and £9.99 for an upgraded buttonhole.
• The most popular price for an upgraded buttonhole, with 23% of votes, is £7 to £7.99.
• None of our responders charge more than £20 or less than £1.99 for an upgraded buttonhole.
• Some participants commented that the price would be higher during peak periods, and again that there would be extra charges for accessories such as Corsage Creations magnetic boutonnieres.

How much do they charge for a wrist corsage?

• The average* (mean) price of a wrist corsage is £14.78.
• The majority (around 62%) of participants charge between £13 and £24.99 for a wrist corsage.
• The most popular price for a wrist corsage is £15 to £16.99, with 21% of participants giving this choice.
• The next most popular price for a wrist corsage drops to £9 to £10.99, with 18% of participants giving this choice.
• 2% of participants charge more than £25 for a wrist corsage, and none charge more than £30.
• Several participants commented that the price for a wrist corsage can be much more variable since the materials used can differ so much, and again prices will vary at peak times and increase with accessories and more expensive bracelets.

How do they mark-up non-floral extras, e.g. pins, picks, brooches and sparkles from the Corsage Creations range of accessories?

• The largest chunk of responders (37%) mark-up accessories and extras by x2.
• The second most popular mark-up choice is x2.5, voted for by 30% of responders.
• Just 1% of participants mark-up accessories by 3.5.
• Many participants said this mark-up varies depending on the items used, while others add a standard £2 per each item.

Business type comparisons

• Below is the average* (mean) price of an upgraded mixed buttonhole from responders with different business types or in different locations.

With a shop premises: £7.93 Working from home: £8.19 Based in the North of England: £8.21 Based in the South of England (not including London): £7.50 Based in Scotland: £7.89 Large-scale business (selling more than 100 buttonholes per year): £7.95 Smaller-scale business (selling less than 100 buttonholes per year): £7.89 Based in a town: £8.05 Based in a rural area: £7.14 Based in a city: £9.36 Find a huge range of buttonhole tools, add-ons and accessories at Corsage Creations. *Average is worked out using rounded figures.