"Just Held It Briefly and Took a Photo"... 'Used Flower Bouquet' Appears at Graduation Ceremony

High Inflation and Recession Impact
Merchants Say "Special Demand Disappeared"

A parent named Im (43), who recently attended their elementary school child's graduation ceremony, put a used bouquet up for sale on a secondhand trading site. The bouquet Im purchased for 60,000 won at a flower shop that morning was sold to a neighboring parent for 25,000 won in less than 10 minutes after the post was uploaded. Im said, "Bouquets cost 60,000 to 70,000 won, so I bought it at a high price and felt it was a waste to use it briefly and throw it away, so I posted it," adding, "I didn't expect so many inquiries; four people asked about buying it. In these times of high inflation, I think it's desirable to reduce one-time expenses."

As the graduation season arrives at schools of all levels, the rise in flower prices amid high inflation has led to a boom in secondhand bouquet trading. With demand for new bouquets decreasing, flower shop merchants and floriculture farmers are growing increasingly worried.

On the 9th, several posts titled "Selling a bouquet just used" appeared on local mom cafes and secondhand trading sites. One seller wrote, "Selling a bouquet bought for 70,000 won this morning for 30,000 won," adding, "I only held it briefly to take photos; there is no damage, and it is fresh." A post written around 1 p.m. received a comment saying "I want to buy it" within 30 minutes and was marked as "reserved." Yoon (31), an office worker who bought a secondhand bouquet to attend a cousin's graduation, said, "Even if you buy an expensive bouquet, it wilts quickly and is hard to dispose of. I thought it better to save money spent on the bouquet and give pocket money instead, so I bought a cheaper one."

The reason bouquets have entered the secondhand market is largely due to the soaring flower prices every year. According to the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corporation's floriculture distribution information, the average price of gerbera, a flower commonly used in bouquets, was 10,943 won in January, marking a 58.8% increase compared to the same period last year. During the same period, roses rose 43.1% to 16,125 won, and freesias increased 41.6% to 4,732 won. A representative from the Korea Floriculture Association explained, "The area of floriculture farms has significantly decreased, and due to this year's autumn climate, the volume of flower imports from places like Hainan and Guangzhou in China has sharply declined," adding, "With both domestic shipments and imports decreasing simultaneously, flower prices have risen this year."

With consumer sentiment shrinking amid high inflation and the rise of secondhand trading, merchants express a bleak outlook, saying, "We can no longer expect even seasonal demand." Kang (53), who runs a flower shop near an elementary school in Mapo-gu, Seoul, said, "There was an elementary school graduation ceremony last week, but both reservations and sales were halved compared to previous years," lamenting, "At this rate, we can't even cover labor costs." Another flower shop owner in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, said, "Even when we arrange flowers cheaply for graduation ceremonies and lower prices to the 40,000 won range, customers say it's still expensive," complaining, "Flower prices rise every year, customers decrease, and we can no longer expect seasonal demand."