Rising gas prices push West El Paso flower shop to revamp delivery routes

Rising gas prices are forcing a West El Paso flower shop to rethink how it delivers arrangements and whether it will need to raise prices ahead of Mother’s Day. Rafael Delfin, owner of Heaven Sent Florist, said his business is feeling the pressure as fuel costs climb and broader economic uncertainty continues. “We’re gonna have to increase the prices, but things are going right now with the war and everything that is going on,” Delfin said.

Delfin said he is trying to adapt in real time to keep the business running. “We take it as it comes as the way it’s coming. We make the decisions according to the time that is changing,” he said. Delfin added, “We can come in even, but so far, like I said, we can handle that.”

To cut down on fuel use, Delfin said the shop has changed its delivery strategy by grouping orders by area rather than making multiple trips. “We route the orders to the Northeast, the east side, and west side, and so forth. That way they take a few deliveries at the same time so they’re not zigzagging all the overtime,” he said.

Even with those changes, Delfin said costs remain unpredictable, including shipping expenses tied to diesel prices and air transport. “I’m dealing with the trucking delivery service because they’re adjusting their prices due to the diesel going up and the airplane,” he said.