02/12/2026
It makes me mad. It makes most florists mad.
But let me give you some context.
I was in Brussels last week and popped into Turning Heads & Making Waves to catch up with Janice, the hairdresser there. When she asked how things were going, I told her about everything we'd been doing at Listowel Florist.
She mentioned how Brussels could really use a florist. I explained that by my math, you should really have 3,000-5,000 people in town to make a go of things, to support a full-service florist offering weddings, funerals, delivery, walk-ins, and short-notice orders.
It was slow that day, so Janice was chatty. I started explaining some of the behind-the-scenes economics of how the flower business actually works.
Then I asked her to pull out her phone and Google "Brussels Flower Delivery."
The shocked look on her face said everything.
"A bit surprised how many local florists you suddenly have here in Brussels?" I said, knowing full well that both of us knew there wasn't a single florist in town.
Half a dozen websites claimed to operate flower shops in Brussels and to have served the community for years.
Let me be crystal clear: Brussels does not have ANY florists in town.
Here are just a few examples of the fakes:
TheFlowerShop.ca - Actually operates out of Vancouver but has a webpage claiming to deliver to Brussels. They have a page like this for every town in Canada.
Karen's Flower Shop - Claims to have served Brussels for 60 years. (Reminder: Brussels has no florists.)
Flowers In 4 Hours - Says they've served Brussels for 15 years.
Canada Flowers - Claims for Huron East that "Our expert floral designers carefully handpick each stem and craft arrangements." They're actually based in Hamilton.
How the Scam Works - And Why You Should Care
Let me explain the economics behind this mess.
The florist industry has something called "wire services" - originally Teleflora, FTD, and 1-800-FLOWERS. Back in pre-internet days, they served a real purpose. You could walk into your local florist and send flowers to your aunt across the country. The sending florist would take a 20% commission, and the wire service would take 7%.
If you ordered a $100 bouquet, the receiving florist got $73 to fulfill it.
We price by the flower stem. So if we receive $100, you get a $100 bouquet. If we receive $73, you get a $73 bouquet.
Back then, this made sense. Long-distance calls were expensive. You didn't know which florist was good in the city where your aunt lived. The wire service provided real value.
Then the internet happened. Then Google happened.
What you SHOULD do today: Open Google Maps, search for a florist near where you want flowers sent, and call or order from a florist with 4.5+ stars and a visible storefront on Google Street View.
What's actually happening: Scammers set up websites for every town, city, and village in Canada, advertising that they're a "local florist" who can do same-day delivery. They use the wire service infrastructure to skim 20% off the top (or more), then send the nearest actual florist 73 cents on the dollar.
The recipient gets 73 cents on the dollar worth of flowers (or less).
Everyone loses except the middleman:
- The sender gets screwed (paid for $100, recipient gets $73)
- The recipient gets screwed (smaller arrangement than expected)
- The local florist gets screwed (has to fulfill for less)
- The scammer gets 20%+
- The wire service happily facilitates it for their 7% cut
These grifters do nothing except take advantage of someone Googling "How do I send flowers to [town name]?" And Google (or ChatGPT) will happily serve up their websites - especially since they pay to be the first ad result.
By this point in my conversation, Janice was mad too. These scams make it even harder for small towns like Brussels, Listowel, and surrounding areas to support actual local florists.
How to Beat the Scam
Support the ACTUAL local florists:
In our area, for Valentines, that means:
- Listowel Florist (us) at https://listowelflorist.com/collections/valentines
- Victoria Inn and Spa in Listowel
- House of Bloom in Wingham
- Blooms on Main in Drayton
- Lewis Flowers in Wingham
- Elora Street Flowers in Harriston
- Elizabeth Watson in Millbank
- Blooms n' Rooms in Seaforth
- Floral Treasure in Mitchell
- Dorking Cut Flowers in Dorking (May through September)
Call us. Call them. We're friendly. We're your neighbours. And we'll tell you what we actually have in our flower cooler right now and how we can best wow the recipient with the budget you have in mind.
"But Their Website Has a Beautiful $59.99 Bouquet!" I hear you say.
Yes, they do. That photo is heavily edited and contains about $110 worth of flowers.
When the actual local florist only receives about $43 to make that arrangement (after the scammer takes their cut), it will NOT look the same. And unfortunately, nobody will be happy.
The Solution is Simple
1. Open Google Maps
2. Search: "[town name] florist"
3. Look for 4.5+ stars and a visible storefront
4. Call them directly
Ask what's special in their fridge. Ask what's a really good deal. Ask what they can do within your budget and the recipient's aesthetic to (as my Dad liked to say) "knock their socks off!"
What We Do Differently
When someone walks into our store wanting to send flowers across the country, we're honest. We tell them we're happy to do it, but there are fees associated with the old way of doing things.
Then we offer to spend five minutes - for free - finding the best local florist where they want to send flowers. We give them the phone number so they can call directly and get the most flowers for their money.
Most people choose this option and are thrilled.
Do we make less money in that moment? Yes.
Is it better for everyone in the long run? Absolutely.
Because when you call or order directly from your truly nearest local florist, everyone wins - except the scammers.
This Valentine's Day
Most of my waking hours are spent thinking about how to serve you and our local community better with fresh, beautiful flowers.
Don't let a middleman scammer take 20-30% of your Valentine's Day budget.
Call your actual local florist. Or call us, and we'll help you find one.
Your flowers - and your loved ones - deserve the real thing.
Caleb Voskamp
listowelflorist.com
519-291-2040
170 Wallace Ave N,
Listowel, Ontario
