Valentine’s day 2026 and a trip to Philadelphia

A few months ago, I got a call from Charles Kremp owner of Kremp’s Florist in Philly. Charles and I have known each other from many years in the flower business and he is a follower of flowersandcents.com.

He suggested that I come to Philly on Feb 12th to see what happens at a busy retail shop during the biggest single day of the year for florists. I thought this sounded like a good idea, but I was not sure I wanted to leave sunny Central Florida for the Northeast.

Then he pulled out all the stops and offered me a Philly cheesesteak lunch and a visit to DVFG (Delaware Valley Floral Group) in Sewell N.J. which sealed the deal and I started booking tickets.

Upon my arrival we headed off to DVFG headquarters, a place I have not visited for 20+ years. Since I grew up nearby in Vineland N.J. and DVFG was a big customer of my family’s trucking business and the Wilkins (owners) were friends of the family.

Fast forward to September of 2025 when this fourth-generation wholesaler was purchased by Staple Street Capital. This acquisition has allowed DVFG to expand into new markets and purchase many long-time competitors.

Their hub and spoke operations allow them to offer very reliable service to their many customers via 13 hubs all serviced from Sewell.

Speaking with John Scott Wilkins the only Wilkins family member still working there, he explained their operations.

On February 11th they delivered 32,000 orders a record for them. That is a very big number, and it takes a very well-oiled system to make that happen.

John Scott suggested that consistent high-quality flowers from vendors is one big reason why it works. They do not have to inspect incoming boxes and can let them pass through the system. Yes, they have quality checks designed to catch any problems right away.

There was not much product left in the building on the 12th and that was due to early orders. They were cautious with a Saturday holiday, but it turns out they beat projections and ordered a few extra truckloads.

John Scott made a point to tell me that part of their job is to help keep their retail customers healthy. Helping with programs and education.

I had a lovely dinner with Charles and his wife Gina and then off to my snow-covered hotel.

Now off to Kremp Florist where I was greeted by a bunch of Kremps. Now in its 4th generation Kremp Florist is certainly one of the oldest and largest retail florists in the Philadelphia area.

Charles Kremp is retired but spends lots of time with his four sons Scott, Steve, Drew, Chad and daughter-in-law, Leslie, who make “Kremps Florist” tick. Having 4 sons, two grandsons and one daughter-in-law working together is a big achievement. Having come from a family business with four sons (and a sister) I know the challenges they face.

However, it appears that there is harmony and everyone has their place and responsibilities. I know a lot about this company since I just finished reading Charles’ new book. “Life Lessons learned”

Available at www.Kremp.com

A very personal account and a good floral history lesson.

The flower shop was stocked with premade arrangements from $25 to $1,000. While some florists stop taking Valentines orders a few days before Valentines Day or when they think they have all the orders they can handle Kremps philosophy is to stay open on the 14th like a normal business day.

Consumers shopping at the last minute (mostly men) need service and they are there to help. The Kremps are counting on that level of service to attract new customers.

Once again, the quality of flowers has improved so much over the last 10 years that substitutions and credits for poor quality are now the exception.

When I asked how they compete against supermarkets flowers there were a few answers. They do not try to compete. They offer high quality products, design and personal service. They also suggested, as other florists have told me, that’s it’s about the card not the flowers. It’s about the surprise at the door when a delivery is made.

It was noted that due to online orders, the way Kremps manages holiday orders now is different from years past. Typically, they would have extra staff manning phones scattered around the offices with all hands-on deck. However, since now nearly 80% of the orders are placed online those stations are now empty. Everyone in the building was shocked at the relaxed pace. Orders were flying in and out.

I received this quote from Scott Kremp on Monday Feb16;

“The holiday turned into a very good one. The walk in traffic / business on Friday and Saturday ended up being our busiest Valentine’s Day ever, both in units and dollars.

As you saw, we work very hard to manage all areas to be as prepared as possible, thus limiting the frantic craziness that you see in many flower shops on these busy holidays. We are able to continue to accept orders throughout the period, while eliminating the very late nights keeping our staff refreshed and friendly.”

Of course, at Kremps there are more than flowers. They have plants, hardgoods and even Legos. If you can’t find what you need at Kremps you probably don’t know what you want but there is a staff member who can help guide you.

This was a very interesting trip for me as I spent more time learning about the retail side of the business for my knowledge and website flowersandcents.com.

Charles and I talked a lot about the industry and how many things have changed over the years.

As promised lunch was served and there were cheesesteaks for all employees. And oh yes, they were so good!

I took as many photos as possible so please watch my short video and hope your Valentines was a good one.

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