China Flower Market: Women boost sales, and work environments, by ordering flowers for themselves

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A growing number of Chinese women are sending flowers to themselves. CGTN's Sun Ye talked to some whose flowery Mondays keep them cheerful throughout the week.

For delivery man Liu Kai, Monday morning is all for weekly flower deliveries. Liu doesn't usually get to see the boxes of flowers that he delivers. And the flowers are actually quite a hassle.

LIU KAI COURIER "Of course the flowers are frail. You have to always keep the boxes horizontal and you should be rather quick. You must take extra care."

Still, he says it's his favorite day on the job, because the recipients are always "so happy".

But, in most cases, the sender and the receiver are the same person.

LYU BOSONG "I like having flowers in my office. They look good and make me feel good. My colleagues always come to my room to look at the blossoms."

The best shots come in a few days. They show gorgeous blossoms, and her own personal adjustments and arrangement.

For almost two years now, Lyu has been receiving a bouquet of her own choosing or a seasonal bunch every week through flower-plus, one of China's most popular online flower retailer. It costs around 100 yuan a month, less than 20 US dollars.

"I don't like the dullness of the office. So I add some color with these flowers. With flowers around me, I can almost feel the sun."

"Working in a bank is a stressful job. But with flowers, I take my late night extra hours better. I become more efficient."

It's not just the concrete jungle of financial buildings that sees weekly flower deliveries. According to a report by the Internet consultancy iiMedia, China's e-commerce flower industry could reach 60 billion yuan by 2020. And much of the growth would come from middle-to-high-income women, who are more likely to splurge on small luxuries, like flowers.

For Liu the flower knight, he says the Monday deliveries have helped him make one important decision: to send his wife flowers as a surprise. Sun Ye, CGTN, Beijing.