A MUCH-LOVED florist has closed its doors for the final time after more than three decades on the high street.
Fladbury Flowers, on Pershore High Street, permanently closed on Saturday, November 7, bringing an end to more than 30 years of trading.
Owner Esther Weetman had previously described the closure as “one of the hardest decisions” she had ever had to make.
Mrs Weetman has worked as a florist for 20 years and owned Fladbury Flowers for the past seven, taking over the business following the retirement of its previous owner.
However, rising costs, falling high street footfall and competition from non-specialist retailers meant keeping the business going had become increasingly difficult.
Mrs Weetman said the price of the flowers she sourced had more than tripled since she took over the business.
Announcing the closure, she described it as “a decision made with the head and not the heart”.
She said: “This is a decision made with the head and not the heart, and it was one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make.
“I have been a florist for 20 years, seven of which running my own shop, and the industry has altered a lot.
“At this moment in time, the costs involved have just become too much. The price of flowers I source continue to rise, which is making it very difficult to make a living.
“For a number of years, I’ve absorbed these increases, but that is unsustainable.”
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She said declining footfall, competition and increasing transport costs had left her with no option but to close.
The closure brings an end to a business which became more than simply a florist for some of its regular customers.
Mrs Weetman said: “This little shop has been amazing; it has survived a pandemic and several weather-related challenges; it has been a place that makes people happy; it has helped people when they have been sad.
“It somehow also turned into a meeting place for people who just wanted to say hello on their way into town.”
Despite absorbing rising costs for several years, Mrs Weetman said there was ultimately “a ceiling on how much you can sell a bouquet of flowers for”.
