Everyone knows to keep flowers fresh, they have to be kept in a refrigerator for cold temperatures. However, not every refrigerator is perfect for storing flowers. Fresh-cut flowers need proper storage because they get easily dehydrated, and are more vulnerable to fungal growth. To increase the shelf life of the fresh flowers in floral shops, special refrigerators with unique specifications known as commercial floral coolers, are required to prolong the life of fresh flowers. How are they unique from other refrigerators? Let’s take a look.
Temperature & Humidity
The ideal temperature to store flowers is between 33-36°F; this reduces the rate of deterioration, bacterial growth, and transpiration. However, unless there are high levels of humidity, cool temperatures mean nothing to the flowers. Classic coolers are designed and manufactured to preserve dry items. These coolers will make flowers dehydrated and droopy. To avoid this problem, floral coolers are designed to maintain a balance between temperature and humidity.
Proper Airflow
Other commercial products such as food and beverages need continuous airflow to stay dry and free from bacteria. In the case of flowers, it requires low airflow to stay fresh and moist. Floral coolers maintain high humidity and low temperature with gentle airflow.
Cost
It seems that common commercial refrigerators are cheaper than floral coolers but they do not actually save money in the long run. In reality, the floral shop owners are paying more using a commercial refrigerator rather than a floral cooler. Flowers that start to decay are hard to sell and even if you are able to make a sale, customers who buy droopy flowers are unlikely to make a repeat purchase from your shop in the future. This will also decrease your sales and reputation over time. If you think about floral coolers, they may seem to be a big investment at first, but it will save your money long term.
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