The UK's cheapest dozen red roses for valentine's day.

Oh yes, Valentine's Day is descending upon us again, leaving thousands of men (and women) baffled and causing marketing people to gleefully rub their hands together. So, what to buy your loved one?

If you're feeling a resolute lack of originality then you can't go wrong with the classic gift of a dozen red roses, but it's the thought that counts, so here's the cheapest deal...

Cheapest In-store Roses At Major Retailers

Morrisons - £2.50 (re-wrapping strongly recommended...)
ASDA - £3 (if you can find the regular ones in red) or £8 ('extra special')
Tesco - £4
Sainsburys- £4.99
Somerfield - £6

Make supermarket roses look more special

If you’re worried that supermarket roses don’t exactly scream romance, simply replace the packaging with some posh-looking wrapping paper, preferably more than five minutes before handing the flowers over...

Red Roses delivered by courier

If you want to impress with courier delivery, Asda Online has 12 red roses for £18 including delivery. Opting for tulips or 'non-red' roses cuts the cost further still.
  • ASDA - £18 (Now sold out)
  • Valueflora - £18.98 (Now sold out)
  • Tesco - £19.50 (late delivery only- up to 18th Feb)
  • M&S - £19.50 online-only offer. (Order by 5pm 13th for delivery - not guaranteed)
  • Sainsburys - £20, fairtrade roses. (Order by 3pm 13th for delivery - not guaranteed)
  • Interflora - £45
Other Top Offers (Last order dates have now passed on these)

I've focused on the supermarkets and main stockists above, and concentrated on delivery by courier rather than by mail. Yet there are a couple of others to consider if you don't mind catching the post.
  • Woolworths - A dozen red roses for £16, but delivered first class registered (so there's no date guarantee).
  • Waitrose Entertaining - 16 cerise roses in a pretty pink vase for £25 delivered, but must be ordered with a week's notice (so do it now!). You can also get a colossal 60 yellow roses for £30 if you order soon enough.
Alternatives to flowers
  • Balloons By Post is a wonderful charity that offers great balloon-based presents and donates profits to help sick children.
Can you find them cheaper?

If you've spotted a cheaper deal, post where and how much below, and the best results will be included in next week's tip.

MSE Lawrence

Quick Note From Martin

If you're looking for super-long stem or other specialist roses they're going to cost more. For the purposes of this thread, I asked Lawrence to focus on not breaking the bank rather than longevity. I'm sure some florists will come on here and berate us for doing so... if that happens please look at the title of the website and you'll understand why.

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Comments

  • Elsterap
    Elsterap Posts: 93 Forumite
    When do they start selling them?
  • I agree - when do the supermarkets start selling those roses??:confused:
  • Butlers1982
    Butlers1982 Posts: 3,286 Forumite
    If you're going to need a card to accompany roses you might like this idea if you've got a bit of time to put into it. I found that a particularly romantic form of Valentines 'card' can be made at home by recording your own voice (and video, but that I haven't tried yet) with your favourite music on a CD. Last year I made one with songs that I chose to download free through a promotion at

    Two posts- both promoting same company . . . . . . . . mmmm
  • N_R
    N_R Posts: 76 Forumite
    These as last years threads, http://forums.moneysavinexpert.com/showthread.html?t=351255
    http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=221812

    Have a look at those before you start ordering your flowers from the internet retailers or online Asda's. Tescos etc. Just see how many were late, or of rubbish quality.

    Bear in mind that any flowers delivered by a courier are going to be delivered in a brown box, and that doesn’t look very exciting.

    Why not use your local florist, or one in the area where you want them delivered?

    If you use a web based ordering system, one of 3 things will happen

    1. They will be members of Teleflorist or Interflora and relay your order through their system.

    2. They will ring a florist in the area where the flowers are to be delivered and place an order with them and pay over the phone with a credit card (The same way as you could do!)

    3. They’ll send them through someone like City link or Royal Mail (remember Christmas?). Please bear in mind that any flowers delivered by a courier are going to be delivered in a brown box, and that doesn’t look very exciting.


    I find Valentines Day and on here quite ironic. Everyone bleats on about the multiples selling roses at £2.99 a bunch, that’s because they are only cheap short roses, bought from a farmer in Kenya that is being screwed by the supermarkets.

    If your all so much in love then you're going to get married and if you all bought your flowers from Tesco, then you'd put the florists out of business and there'd be no one to do your wedding flowers!!!

  • sukysue
    sukysue Posts: 1,823 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    You sound a little bitter m'dear hast thou been crossed in love? Am not having a go just the way your post has come over love.No offence honest.As for the flowers well surely the supermarkets (the name is ironic isn't it?) (market pah!)will be treating these as a lost leader and be losing money on them ? Mind you nothing would surprise me with Tesco these days how ruthless they have become.
    xXx-Sukysue-xXx
  • N_R wrote: »
    These as last years threads, http://forums.moneysavinexpert.com/showthread.html?t=351255
    http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=221812

    Have a look at those before you start ordering your flowers from the internet retailers or online Asda's. Tescos etc. Just see how many were late, or of rubbish quality.

    Bear in mind that any flowers delivered by a courier are going to be delivered in a brown box, and that doesn’t look very exciting.

    Why not use your local florist, or one in the area where you want them delivered?

    If you use a web based ordering system, one of 3 things will happen

    1. They will be members of Teleflorist or Interflora and relay your order through their system.

    2. They will ring a florist in the area where the flowers are to be delivered and place an order with them and pay over the phone with a credit card (The same way as you could do!)

    3. They’ll send them through someone like City link or Royal Mail (remember Christmas?). Please bear in mind that any flowers delivered by a courier are going to be delivered in a brown box, and that doesn’t look very exciting.


    I find Valentines Day and on here quite ironic. Everyone bleats on about the multiples selling roses at £2.99 a bunch, that’s because they are only cheap short roses, bought from a farmer in Kenya that is being screwed by the supermarkets.

    If your all so much in love then you're going to get married and if you all bought your flowers from Tesco, then you'd put the florists out of business and there'd be no one to do your wedding flowers!!!

    I'm guessing you're a florist then?? Cheap is good for me - well done to the supermarkets for driving down the cost of goods. If there are people prepared to work for next to nothing then let's use them; if we didn't then they would have nothing and surely that's worse than next to nothing??
  • womble32 wrote: »
    Cheap is good for me - well done to the supermarkets for driving down the cost of goods. If there are people prepared to work for next to nothing then let's use them; if we didn't then they would have nothing and surely that's worse than next to nothing??

    Validating ripping people off by saying its better than nothing condones these big buyers actions. If everyone bought fair trade, the business would still be done, but you wouldnt save a couple of pounds by screwing some farmer in the poorer country and it would send a clear message to those that buy that its no longer acceptable for them to profit like that.

    Saving money doesnt mean you have to hide your moral compass under the blanket of denial.
  • JayD
    JayD Posts: 698 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post
    FumingMad wrote: »

    Saving money doesnt mean you have to hide your moral compass under the blanket of denial.

    Please sir, where can I buy a blanket of denial?

    It sounds pretty handy to have!
  • FumingMad wrote: »
    Validating ripping people off by saying its better than nothing condones these big buyers actions. If everyone bought fair trade, the business would still be done, but you wouldnt save a couple of pounds by screwing some farmer in the poorer country and it would send a clear message to those that buy that its no longer acceptable for them to profit like that.

    Saving money doesnt mean you have to hide your moral compass under the blanket of denial.

    Here here! Too often cheap is used as an excuse for poor behaviour. Most of the cut flowers sold in the UK are imported, often traveling on refrigerated aircraft and lorries, sometimes for many thousands of miles. Fertilisers and pesticides commonly used when growing flowers commercially can have a harmful effect on the environment. Add to that the low wages and conditions of the workers and "valentines day roses" don't have much love included! Try UK grown flowers from your local florist of if you must have roses make sure they're fair trade.
  • I like to take a stand against some of the marketing that goes on! Last year I told my husband not to buy me expensive flowers (he normally has a big bunch delivered). I told him to buy them from ASDA. He got me two begonias for £2.50 each! They are still alive and flowering again.
    If we want to take a stand against high pressure marketing that tells us "love means buying her a bunch of roses" then lets take a stand! Instead of buying cheap roses buy something that's sold at the normal price because it's not associated with Valentines day.
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