Despite the shaky economy - and despite the holiday landing on a weekend day - most local florists reported steady sales this Valentine's Day.

Traditionally, when Valentine's Day falls on a Saturday, business is slower than when the holiday falls on a weekday. This year, surprisingly, Laxton's Florist and Greenhouses in Skaneateles was on par with the previous year's sales, said owner David Laxton.

“It doesn't seem like the economy is a big factor,” he said. “People aren't going for the high-end arrangements but roses are still going big-time.”

The sales are reassuring for Laxton, especially with all the news of a downward economic trend.

“With all the doom and gloom going around, we're satisfied and encouraged with the way things look locally,” Laxton said.

Smiley's Town and Country in Owasco also saw a consistent flow of customers this year.

Owner Jackie Scanlon noticed an increased amount of local customers.

“I think maybe people feel they want something to cheer each other up. They want to have something happy and cheerful ... something to celebrate,” she said.

But not all flower shops were as busy as in previous years.

Bonnie's Custom Creations, a flower shop located in Elbridge, noticed a decline in deliveries. Typically the shop has more deliveries on Thursday and Friday when Valentine's Day falls on a Saturday, said owner Bonnie Ford, but this year, there were a lot more walk-ins where people took the flowers home with them.

Still, this year's sales turned out better than Ford predicted.

“I did anticipate it being a lean Valentine's and it's turned out we're going to sell out of roses. It's better than I expected,” she said.

Auburn-based Cosentino's Florist, however, did not experience a downward trend this year. Owner Carmen Cosentino attributes it to a few factors such as advertising and mailings. Cosentino also believes Valentine's Day is a day when budget doesn't matter.

Cosentino and Scanlon also noted that the retirement of another Auburn florist impacted their sales this year.

On average, the florists noted people spent approximately $50 and that the most popular flowers were roses. Other popular flowers this year included daisies and carnations.

For Valentine's Day, it's important for florists to have a variety of arrangements that will fit any budget, Cosentino said.

“Most flower shops, in this economy, need to cater to everybody because that $5 buyer, someday is going to have $1 million and I want him as a customer,” he said.

Scanlon agreed that being able to meet the needs of customers is imperative.

“We're just happy and grateful that we have our customers and that business is good,” she said. “No matter what we do we try to focus on taking care of the customer above money.”

Staff writer Gitana Mirochnik can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 237 or gitana.mirochnik@lee.net