DoorDash (DASH) is catering to all procrastinators this Valentine's Day.
The online food ordering company announced a new delivery vertical in honor of the famous holiday. Beginning Wednesday, customers can place same-day or advanced flower deliveries through the Doordash app, which will also give users the chance to to win free diamonds (yes, free.)
Ten customers who order flowers between February 9 through the end of Valentine's Day will be entered for a chance to win diamond necklaces from Neil Lane’s collection with Kay Jewelers (SIG).
“I’m excited to partner with DoorDash this Valentine's Day to gift ten lucky people with an exquisite piece of Neil Lane jewelry in celebration of flower delivery on DoorDash, and as a reward for sending flowers to a loved one for the most romantic day of the year," Lane said in a statement.
The platform, which partnered with more than 3,000 local and national florists across the country, is hoping to provide greater accessibility to consumers, who might have trouble snagging last minute arrangements this season.
According to the National Retail Federation, U.S. consumers are expected to pay a whopping $2.3 billion on flowers and arrangements this year.
In total, Valentine’s Day spending is expected to hit $23.9 billion, up from $21.8 billion in 2021 and the second-highest year on record, according to the annual survey.
"Planning ahead is definitely the advice I want to give everyone this holiday...The more notice you can give your flower delivery service the better," Christina Stembel, founder and CEO of e-commerce flower platform Farmgirl Flowers, told Yahoo Finance during a recent interview.
Weather, and Valentine's Day falling on a Monday this year, will likely to add to delivery woes — coupled with the fact that flower prices have gone up "100% or more" as supply chain issues continue to weigh on the industry, Stembel explained.
"Roses have more than doubled in price, which usually is not the case," she added. Inflation and supply chain bottlenecks are "hitting everyone very hard," amid additional cost increases for other essential items in the flower delivery process like containers and vases.
"There's a shortage worldwide in flowers, so you have to pay a premium to get anything right now. We're trying to think outside of the box for ways that we don't have to pass on 100% of that [cost] to our consumers so we don't price ourselves out of the market....It's been challenging," Stembel stated.
Alexandra is a Producer & Entertainment Correspondent at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @alliecanal8193
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