Published on:
11
February 2008
Thinking about some flowers for the love of your life for Valentine's Day or just a little gift to express your feelings on that special day then Trading Standards are advising people to shop around to avoid being ripped off.
A survey of flower prices in the lead up to Valentines Day by Stirling and Clackmannanshire Trading Standards revealed that 37% of traders increase their prices for Valentine flowers, and the increase ranges from 14% percent to a staggering 30% above the normal prices.
Trading Standards Officer Rosemary McLellan said: "Trading Standards looked at the price of 12 Red Roses and asked for a price for delivery the week beginning Monday 4 February and then for a price for the same flowers to be delivered for Valentines Day. Although most traders (67%) stated the price would remain the same, some traders did increase their prices quite sharply. So it's worth shopping around for that romantic gesture.
"Trading Standards officers also looked at giving chocolates instead of flowers. The results showed that for most of the boxes we looked at, the fancy boxes were more expensive for the same amount of chocolate. In one box the packaging was more than the weight of the chocolates."
| Box | Style | Price | chocs/packaging |
| 1 | Fancy | £4.99 | 200/63g |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Plain | £5.00 | 195/72g |
| 3 | Fancy | £4.99 | 115/39g |
| 4 | Plain | 2.99 | 120/43g |
| 5 | Fancy | 5.49 | 220/58g |
| 6 | Plain | 2.99 | 225/71g |
| 7 | Fancy | 4.99 | 98/114g |
| 8 | Plain | 1.49 | 149/3g |
Further information and advice can be obtained from Stirling and Clackmannanshire Council Trading Standards Service. Please phone 0845 277 7000 and speak to a member of the Trading Standards team in confidence.