She Never Planned to Sell Flowers, Today She Sells Emotion at Any Price
Video: Anahal Honi from “Pri HaKerem” with floral tips / Photo: Ido Shacham Director: Shay Verker Video editing: Sivan Shuster
Whether it is the upcoming Shabbat, a year-end gift for a teacher or kindergarten teacher, or simply the desire to bring a little color into the house before spring ends, you do not really need a special reason to enjoy a fresh bouquet of flowers. Sometimes it is a small gesture, sometimes a gift, and sometimes simply a way to change the atmosphere at home in an instant. It was exactly from that place that we met Anahal, the owner of “Pri HaKerem” from Tel Aviv, who knows well the small and big moments that bring people into a flower shop. In her view, a good bouquet is not only a matter of appearance, but also of fit, freshness, and the ability to last more than two days.
Her story, like that of many small businesses, began almost by chance. “I got into it completely by accident,” she says. “My father did it with someone at first, and he left. I learned and pitched in to help, and in the end I opened the business.” Anahal describes a very wide range of products and styles. “We sell flowers, potted plants, chocolates, balloons and bridal bouquets,” she says. On days like these, when demand ranges between Shabbat bouquets and small gifts and year-end gestures, this flexibility makes it possible to tailor the bouquet to both the budget and the occasion. For her, part of the matter is knowing how to adapt to the customer and the moment. “I sell at any price.” And that is perhaps one of the sentences that best explains the essence of the business, not just selling a bouquet, but knowing how to create emotion, a gesture and a presence, each time in a slightly different way.
How do you make a bouquet last longer? Behind the beauty of the flowers there is also quite a bit of maintenance, and here Anahal comes in with the most practical side of the field. “There are many methods for this,” she says. “To make the bouquet last longer at home, you need to change the water, preferably every other day, and cut the flower stem. Really renew the cut every day.” These sound like small details, but in her view they are what make all the difference. A bouquet that gets clean water and proper care can look completely different after a few days. She also adds tips from her daily work with flowers: “I have a special powder that you put in the water, and it extends the life of the flowers. Sugar stimulates the flowers, helps them open better.” And there is also a less common tip, but one that always works: “Put in a little bleach. A bit of bleach in the flowers kills all the bacteria.”
Alongside the recommendations, she also points to the mistake she sees again and again among customers. “The biggest mistake people make is leaving the same water in all week.” In other words, you do not always need to know everything about varieties, arrangements or styling, just understand that flowers, like anything living, need maintenance and attention. Even when it comes to preferences, Anahal has a clear opinion. “The best choice is roses,” she says. “Sunflowers are also possible, each person has their own style. I love roses.” She also recommends baby’s breath: “My recommendation for a bridal bouquet is to use baby’s breath flowers. They last.” In her view, these are flowers that know how to look good over time, and even when they change, they do not lose their charm.
A young business with a practical understanding of the field One of the things that stands out from Anahal’s words is that her business relies not only on good taste, but also on a precise work pace. “We receive stock once a day in the morning, so that we can bring our customers the freshest possible flowers,” she says. In the world of flowers, where freshness is not a bonus but the foundation, this is a central part of the work. And perhaps that is also what makes this field so sensitive. Customers are not just buying a product. They are buying a moment, an impression, a gesture. Sometimes a small gift, sometimes a bridal bouquet, sometimes something meant to say exactly what is not always easy to say in words. That is why the business itself also has to operate with precision, sensitivity and the right pace.
Anahal also clearly recognizes the other side of running a small business today, it is not enough to know how to work well, you also have to know how to be present where customers are searching. “Because I am a young woman who opened a business at an early age,” she says, “I recommend B144. They have all kinds of packages that promote the business.” Rather than presenting it as a slogan, she speaks of it as a natural part of the day-to-day operation of a small business that wants to grow. For her, it is another tool in the broader system of presence, promotion and management, one that helps the business keep moving. When the business also needs to be seen, for small businesses operating in a visual and competitive world like flowers, digital presence is already part of the work.
In Anahal Honi’s case, this connects naturally to the character of the business and to a generation that understands very well how customers search, check and decide. Alongside the work in the shop, the fresh stock and the connection with customers, visibility in the places where the search is actually happening is also important. For a business like “Pri HaKerem,” this is a way to expand its presence and reach new customers without losing the business’s personal character.
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