Today, the general public shops throughout the area for its flowers and floral supply products alongside the retail florists and wedding and event planners.

There are about 500 retail florists in New York City, employing about 1,800 people.

As retail florists and floral designers grow increasingly frustrated with the traffic and parking problems, the market is sure to suffer, the wholesalers predict.

The only obvious absence is a retail florist.

(A wholesaler's profits run about 20 percent; retail florists, the most likely to be stuck with wilted flowers mark up at 100 percent.)

Although retail florists do cut stems before the flowers are put on display, the stems should be cut fresh.

The Kroger Company, in fact, says it is the largest retail florist in the country, if not the world.

There are usually three major sources of fresh flowers for retail florists: local growers, local wholesalers and flower auctions.

FloristWare is an order-taking and point-of-sale (POS) system for retail florists.

Systems of this type are intended to aid retail florists with all aspects of their business.