Behind rows of red roses and heart-shaped displays, many Gainesville business owners are struggling to source supplies ahead of Valentine’s Day because of rising tariffs on imported goods.
The Trump administration introduced sweeping tariffs on imported goods such as chocolate and flowers beginning in 2025. These actions established baseline tariffs of about 10% on many imports, with higher rates on certain products and countries.
Valentine’s Day is one of the busiest times of year for florists and bakers, but local businesses say changes in supply chains and tariffs are complicating ingredient sourcing before prices reach customers.
Ben Guzick, the 35-year-old owner of artisan Gainesville bakery Uppercrust, refers to Valentine’s Day as “chocolate season,” when many customers place orders for chocolate cupcakes, chocolate-covered strawberries and chocolate scones.
As tariffs increase the cost of imported chocolate and limit supplier options, Uppercrust has fewer choices when sourcing chocolate for seasonal desserts.
“We're having to go to our plan C, plan D and in some cases, having to come up with a plan E,” Guzick said. “All of those options are significantly more expensive.”
Many of Uppercrust’s chocolate suppliers raised prices after the tariffs were announced, Guzick said. That includes supplies for Uppercrust’s 70% Valrhona chocolate, a luxury French baking product. He added that prices for specialty chocolate such as Valrhona have nearly tripled.
Rather than raising prices, the bakery is absorbing much of the tariff-driven cost increase on chocolate-heavy items. The shop hopes sales of other baked goods during the busy season will help offset potential losses.
Even without price increases, Guzick said he’s noticed customers gravitating away from higher-priced specialty desserts to everyday staples like coffee and bread.
Florists across Gainesville said supply constraints on fresh flowers and nonperishable goods have created similar sourcing challenges and shifts in customer behavior.
At The Plant Shoppe Florist, 51-year-old owner Betsy Gardner said Valentine’s Day is more of a sprint than a marathon. With orders coming in continuously throughout the week, Gardner purchases supplies on the open market, where tariffs are factored into already high prices, she said.
After its previous supplier retired in May 2025, the shop turned to alternate vendors, charging substantially more for flowers and hard goods like decorative items and vases. Many of the fresh flowers sold at the shop are imported from South America, leaving Gardner to navigate shipping costs and additional tariffs.
Some flower suppliers have added surcharges to invoices, while nonperishable items like silk flowers are subject to a 9% tariff, Gardner said.
The shop has changed prices to reflect additional tariffs and rising expenses. Last year, it sold a dozen roses paired with a vase and accent flower for $87.99. The same bundle is now priced at $99.99.
Despite the price increase, The Plant Shoppe Florist sells products below industry pricing standards, Gardner said, aiming to accommodate the Gainesville community and local Valentine’s Day shoppers.
Although customers are still purchasing flowers, Gardner said, their buying habits have changed.
“Instead of a dozen roses, they might buy a mixed bouquet, or they might buy half a dozen,” she said.
While not all businesses have experienced negative impacts from tariffs, some, including Crevasse's Florist, say they are still working to keep prices as low as possible for customers.
Marcela Viana, 52, an owner of Crevasse's Florist, said the shop sources flowers domestically through wholesale suppliers in the Gainesville area and is absorbing some additional costs.
After some wholesale suppliers closed within the last year, Viana said the shop continued to seek suppliers elsewhere in Florida, including Jacksonville and Miami.
“I’ve seen how the economy last year affected some businesses,” Viana said. “But you have other options. There’s been a little bit of a change, but nothing you can’t handle.”
Olivia Lofaso is a contributing writer for The Alligator.
