Flower Shop Equipment List: Essential Tools and Supplies

Flower shops are beautiful and fragrant spaces where customers go to purchase arrangements and gifts for various occasions. However, running a successful flower shop requires more than just beautiful blooms and a creative eye.

Equipping your floral shop with the right florist tools and equipment is critical to ensuring that you can provide high-quality floral arrangements, maintain product freshness, and provide excellent customer service.

Flower Shop Equipment Checklist

Before diving in, here’s a quick overview of the essential equipment every flower shop should have:

• Flower processing equipment (inc. buckets, water treatment, hydration solutions)

• Cleaning and sanitation supplies

• Worktables and storage solutions

• Essential florist tools (inc. cutting, handling, and presentation tools)

• Flower arranging tools and mechanics

• Refrigeration equipment (inc. floral coolers, refrigerators, walk-ins)

• Florist display equipment

• Packaging supplies

• Delivery equipment

• Florist point of sale (POS) and online selling tools

So, if you are a new floral professional or looking to upgrade your equipment, we've got some juicy insights for you! Our guide is loaded with all the must-have equipment, so you can impress your flower-loving customers and bloom like a pro. Get ready to take your floral game to the next level!

Essential florist tools

A florist's arsenal: these are the must-have tools to keep your flower power on track. Get your hands on the essentials for a blooming business. Here's what you're going to need:

Flower Processing Equipment

Proper flower processing equipment helps extend vase life, reduce waste, and ensure flowers look their best before they ever reach the sales floor.

• Floral buckets. Heavy-duty plastic or rubber buckets hold flowers during hydration and storage. They may seem insignificant, but if you don't have enough for your inventory, proper care becomes impossible.

• Water treatment solutions. These additives control bacteria, balance pH levels, and keep water clean, allowing stems to absorb water efficiently, significantly slowing premature wilting.

• Hydration solutions. Best-used immediately after flowers arrive, hydration solutions help recondition stressed blooms by improving water uptake and reviving flowers that have spent time out of water during transport.

• Flower food and preservatives. Added after initial hydration, these solutions provide sugars for energy while limiting microbial growth, helping arrangements last longer for your customers.

Cleaning and Sanitation Supplies

A clean workspace is just as important to your business as anything else and is a key part of your professional image.

• Bucket and container cleaners. Specialized floral cleaners remove biofilm and residue that harbor bacteria, preventing contamination between fresh shipments.

• Disinfectants and sanitizing sprays. Used on work surfaces, tools, and cooler interiors, these products help maintain a hygienic environment that protects delicate flowers, as well as staff and customers.

• Floor and drain cleaners. Keeping floors and drains clean reduces mold, odors, and standing water, which can negatively impact both flower quality and workplace safety.

• Disposable gloves and wipes. Simple but effective, these supplies help staff maintain cleanliness during processing and arrangement, especially during high-volume periods.

Worktable and storage

Every floral business needs these tables and workbenches! These tables have a smooth top and an easy-to-clean surface. They are perfect for keeping your flower game strong and your workflow efficient on a day to day basis. Many modern tables have additional racks or drawers to store tools too.  After all, whether you're a blossoming startup or a seasoned pro, it's always important to stay organized. So wave goodbye to the chaos and say hello to a more streamlined and smooth-running flower shop! 

Don't let your flowers and supplies wilt away in a chaotic mess! With the right storage options, you can keep them organized and fresh as a daisy. Creating a professional workspace doesn't just make you look like a pro, it helps you stay organized and provide top-quality flowers to your customers with every sale. So gather those shelves and cabinets, and get ready to bloom!

Florist tools

Who knew being a florist required so many tools? Scissors, floral knives, and shears are like the holy trinity of floral equipment for cutting flower stems and trimming fresh flowers down to size.

But wait, there's more! You'll also need gloves, wire, tape, and flower foam to give your arrangements the structural support to place your flowers firmly. (We’ll dive into their uses in our next section.)

Next up is presentation - you may want to present your flowers in waterproof or paper wrapping or boxes, and add decorations like floral picks, ribbons, tags and cards. This really completes the look of a good flower bouquet. 

And let's not forget about gloves and aprons - they're essential for protecting yourself when you're removing thorns and sticky sap.

Having the right floral tools will help you create beautiful bouquets and happy customers in no time. Finding good quality tools is a must to make working safe and efficient. Try reading florist magazines and forums to find out what other florist experiences were like with tools to ensure you buy the best ones!

Top tip: It is crucial to keep your florist tools in good condition by cleaning and sharpening them regularly to ensure that they function correctly and last a long time.

Flower arranging tools

The flower industry isn’t all about pretty petals, folks. If you want to keep your flower shop fresh and fabulous, there’s a lot of presentation work, extras to upsell, and options to offer your customers. So naturally, that means you’ll need the right gear to offer these high quality floral arrangements.

Of course, you've got your standard kit, but there are a few must-have tools for crafting stunning bouquets that'll take your game to the next level. So, without further ado, here are the indispensables:

Floral foam and floral tape

Of all the supplies you'll need, floral foam reigns supreme. It provides a sturdy foundation to stabilize flowers and helps keep them fresh and hydrated. A floral tape is also a great tool for securing flowers in place and adding extra reinforcement by wrapping stems away.

Florist wire and floral picks

Want to add some structure to your bouquet? Look no further than florist wire. It's perfect to keep the heads of flowers facing upwards. If you use this tool appropriately, it can be great to secure arrangements and is a great substitute for flower frogs for a more low-key appearance. 

Floral picks can be used to add some extra flair to your creations, and come in a huge variety of shapes and materials to give a unique finishing touch.

Vases and floral tape

You will also need vases, pots, boxes, baskets, and containers - as well as waterproof flower wrapping paper. With a range of different shapes and sizes available, you can customize your arrangements to suit any occasion. Selling your own vases and packages is a great way to expand your product range and offer your customers more.

Additionally, clear floral tape or sturdier green tape can be used for lining vases perfectly.

Floral adhesives 

Floral designers should also have other specialist tools up their sleeves, like floral adhesives. These adhesives, like glue guns and dots, keep flowers and decor in place for a sturdy and long-lasting hold. Perfect for intricate arrangements or sticking flowers on unconventional surfaces.

And let's not forget about the liquid shield. It’s a spray which keeps arrangements fresh and vibrant for outdoor events or long trips.

Packaging equipment

Packaging supplies play a crucial role in protecting floral arrangements while also shaping the customer’s first impression. Flower boxes provide structural support during transport and storage, preventing stems and blooms from shifting or being crushed. They make picking up and carrying complex arrangements much simpler, while also adding to the overall aesthetic with shapely designs and complimentary color schemes.

Meanwhile, tissue paper helps cushion delicate petals, retain moisture, and elevates a presentation by adding softness and color contrast around bouquets and boxed arrangements. Adding ribbons to your flowers can also help secure wrapping materials while adding a polished, branded finish that enhances perceived value and gift appeal.

For orders leaving the shop, delivery boxes are a must for stability and temperature control, ensuring arrangements arrive intact and looking fresh, even during longer delivery runs. 

Refrigeration equipment

Flower shop inventories are more vulnerable than perhaps any other industry. That makes proper refrigeration a must-have on any successful site. Cool stable temperatures protect your fresh flowers from drooping petals, shortened vase life, and the disappointed customers they lead to. Investing in reliable cooling equipment then, protects the value of your inventory and reputation.

There are a variety of cooling options available, suited to different shop sizes and business models. A standard floral cooler, flower shop cooler, or display cooler, would be an upright unit with glass doors you can store inventory in between 1-4°C (or 34–39°F). You can typically purchase one for between $800 - $1500, though larger and more sophisticated models with features such as humidity control (80-90% humidity is ideal for most kinds of flowers) could cost twice that.

A floral refrigerator offers slightly more storage potential, with built-in shelving and adjustable temperature zones. These features offer a little more flexibility in your storage, and so these units can be more expensive. Although cheaper floral refrigerators may cost $1200, many will be multiple thousands of pounds. The more expensive units, though, come with energy-efficiency and quiet operation that can have a positive impact on your utility bill and the atmosphere of your shop.

Larger operations with enough inventory to justify it, may use a walk-in cooler. Custom-built refrigeration rooms can store and extend the longevity of a large inventory, and maintain temperature even if the doors open frequently. These units would start at $4-5,000, but can easily come to ten or twenty thousand pounds once all the work on insulation, flooring, and electrics is complete.

Florist display equipment

Display equipment is an important part of your flower shop’s interior design flower arrangement tools, as it provides a means of showcasing and presenting floral arrangements in an attractive and eye-catching way. For example, you could use floral cages to showcase your floral designs to customers and show off your skills (make sure they know they’ve come to the best!).

These wire frames keep your blooms in place and even add a little extra pizzazz with their ability to hang from hooks and other devices. Fill them with flowers, greens, and whatever other decorative touches tickle your fancy to make the perfect hanging arrangement for any occasion.

Additionally, display equipment can also help to protect the arrangement from damage or mishandling, ensuring that it stays in excellent condition and maintains its aesthetic appeal.

Other popular ways to display your flowers include:

• Flower display cooler. Using your flower storage equipment as a display unit ensures that your flowers can be both well-cared for and well-seen by your customers!

• Vase displays. Displaying flowers in vases highlights stem length, color, and movement, helping customers visualize how arrangements will look post-purchase.

• Bucket displays. Practical, cost-effective, and beautiful grouped together on a stand or shelf, bucket displays are ideal for loose stems and self-select flowers, making them perfect for high-traffic or market-style shops.

• Shelving units. Shelves maximize vertical space and keep arrangements, plants, and accessories neatly organized, creating a clean, layered look that enhances the overall shop layout.

Specialized floral mechanics

Flower shops don't just need the essential floral supplies to make beautiful bouquets anymore. These days, specialized equipment is taking center stage to offer one-of-a-kind services to customers. Think outside the box with high-tech tools that push the boundaries of traditional flower arranging. Let's start with:

Delivery equipment

Most contemporary florists will take as many online or over-the-phone orders for delivery as they do in-store sales. That makes having reliable delivery equipment absolutely essential. So what does a florist need to ensure delivery orders arrive in the same condition they leave the shop in?

Well, unsurprisingly, a delivery vehicle is number one. Compact vans are popular with a lot of florists as they are both fuel efficient and spacious enough for lots of orders. But if your business caters to a lot of weddings and corporate events, a large van or even multiple vehicles may be required to accommodate the volume of flowers coming out of your store. Either way, flat-bed floors with tie-down points and wide-opening rear doors can prevent issues in transit and handling errors.

Flower transport boxes, meanwhile, can keep orders separate and secure. These boxes can hold buckets with flowers coming into the store, or they can keep finished arrangements upright. They also save time during the loading and unloading process.

Temperature control is critical factor in flower delivery. Insulated vehicles, portable cooling units, or purchasing transport boxes equipped with chillers can help maintain consistent temperatures during transit. Even short exposure to heat can significantly reduce vase life, so proper temperature management ensures flowers arrive looking vibrant no matter the distance traveled.

Starting your online flower shop

Delivery is just one piece of the puzzle. Being online is a vital aspect of being a floral shop. Thankfully, this is where the Epos Now website builder comes in clutch. With this user-friendly platform, florists can create their own online store and seamlessly manage deliveries and payments. Say it with flowers? More like say it with Epos Now. 

Florist point of sale equipment

A florist point of sale (POS) system is an essential tool for any flower shop looking to streamline their operations and improve their overall performance. Check out our best POS system for garden centres for a comaparison.

With Epos Now, florists can easily track inventory, manage orders, and process payments in a breeze. Plus, you will also benefit from advanced reporting and analytics features, providing valuable insights into customer behavior and sales trends.

By leveraging these tools, flower shops can make data-driven decisions about their business and optimize their operations for maximum profitability.

Conclusion

To blossom in the floral biz, having the right gear is key. You need tables, storage, and nifty tools for crafting stunning arrangements and delivering them without a hitch. And, if you want to up the ante, technology can help you do that.

Enter Epos Now's florist POS and website builder. These innovations can spruce up your operations and online presence. In short, get the goods and tech you need, and your flower shop will flourish like a sunflower on a summer day.