<\/a><\/p>\n When thinking about the economy and the spending habits of Americans, the floral industry came to my mind because it is a product that Americans shift from feeling obligated to buy (for holidays, special occasions like weddings or funerals) or buy on a whim, and this interested me. Gifting a bouquet of flowers may just seem like a kind gesture, but the state of the floral industry can be an economic indicator.<\/p>\n Although the floral industry is a growing industry now (its total retail sales in the U.S. in 2015 was $31.3 billion, it\u2019s highest sales yet) it\u2019s growth and movement typically mirrors the economy. From this list of floral sales over the years, it is revealed that when the recession hit, the sales fell by $1.4 billion. Since the recession, the floral industry has been able to recover and grow by $2.4 billion in sales. This is $1.3 billion more than the industry\u2019s previous peak in sales before the recession.<\/p>\n