Record Valentine’s Demand Sends M&S Floral Sales Soaring
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This Valentine’s season saw millions of romantic gestures across the UK, and Marks & Spencer’s floral range was at the heart of them. In fact, M&S reported selling more than 1 million Valentine’s bouquets in stores and online — its most successful floral performance to date.
It’s a lovely headline, but the real story is what’s behind the blooms: a nearly two-decade partnership with a supplier that’s become integral to M&S’s floral transformation.
A Partnership Rooted in Passion and Quality
The story goes back to 2006 when Phil Whelan, a former M&S buyer with a passion for flowers, set up MM Flowers. What began with a single production line of red roses — sold exclusively to M&S — has blossomed into an operation spanning five sites across the UK and the Netherlands, working with growers over 3,000 hectares.
Today, MM Flowers supplies cut flowers across the range — roses, tulips and even exclusive varieties like the trademarked Peony Rose — reinforcing consistent quality at scale.
Innovation and Transformation in Every Stem
According to Elizabeth Van Niekerk, Head of Trading for Produce and Floral at M&S Food, the success isn’t just about volume — it’s about product quality and category evolution.
M&S and MM Flowers work closely with breeding houses to select and blend seed varieties, nurture them with specialist growers and then bring them together at a packing facility in Lincolnshire.
The result? Customers know they’re buying flowers that really feel special — from the biggest-selling £25 Freedom Roses to the distinctive Peony Rose — and that trusted quality has driven category growth.
Fresh Styling Meets Market Growth
Last year, M&S relaunched its Flower Market with a refreshed house style — including elegant embossed message cards and chic box bows — aimed at making its blooms the perfect Valentine’s gift.
That revamp has paid off: market share in flowers and plants grew from 16.3 % to 17.1 % in the lead-up to Valentine’s Day.
From Celebrity Collabs to Hands-On Retail Experiences
Quality and innovation aren’t the only levers M&S is pulling. The retailer has teamed up with high-profile names including Katherine Jenkins, Kelly Hoppen and Dame Joan Collins to create signature floral styles.
And at its refreshed Cribbs Causeway store, pop-up florists invited customers to build their own bouquets, adding a playful, personalised element to the experience.
Looking Ahead: More Blooming Opportunities
This Valentine’s success is just one milestone in a broader journey. M&S is aiming to double the size of its Food business, and floral innovation is a key part of that roadmap.
Van Niekerk emphasises that the transformation — and the partnership with MM Flowers — isn’t finished, with plans to expand how and where customers can enjoy M&S flowers and bring even more unique products to market.
After all, when every bloom really does tell a story, there’s always room for the next chapter.
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