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FLORIST FLOWERING YOUR WORLD – Kristof Remes
‘(This customer) was in the other week with her daughter and happily explained that “this is the flower shop” with a big smile! It’s nice and warms the heart when you hear it!’
Welcome to our interview & blog with florists, about florists, for florists. The next florist to present is Kristof Remes, a florist geek & nature lover, northerner from Skåne, who owns Kristofs Flora in Piteå since 2016.
Why did you choose the floristry?
I grew up on a farm on the countryside in Skåne and am a nature lover, but didn’t like being outside when the weather was bad.
When it came time to choose a high school, I saw that you could choose to become a florist. Perfect! Then I could choose to work with what I love – nature – but didn’t have to be outside. I chose to become a florist, inside!
After a year, I was about to drop out and just then we went with the school to Gothenburg to watch the professional WC in competitive binding. I thought that was awesome! This was what I wanted to do! It looked varied and fun! So there have been a few competitions over the years. Professional Championship two times, Professional European Championship where I won silver, and Interflora’s Championship where I won bronze in the debutant class, for example. Some with medals, and others with worse placements, but I returned richer in experience!
Did it turn out as you thought?
No! It was hard to imagine before. I Didn’t think I would end up in Norrland, Piteå as I am from Skåne, Kävlinge.
But I got a job in Luleå at Enström’s flowers. When I had worked there for a few years, I was asked if I was interested in opening a flower shop in Piteå. Whoever had been there had gone out of business so there was very little competition. It was a good opportunity for me to start something of my own and have it my way from the start. It is important to set goals. At the same time, it is important to dare to change, but not every week, but over time. Keep up with fashion but at the same time be traditional. Three roses with a bridal veil is a classic that we also get to appreciate.
The economy and profitability are of course very important. It is important to keep track of the numbers. It is a big challenge as there are many small pieces of the puzzle and many situations that affect the result. In February 2026 we will celebrate 10 years and now it is starting to turn out as I imagined.
What drives you to keep developing?
To try new things! To follow up what is happening. Make a marketing strategy and follow it up with sales. It’s fun to test the ideas you get.
I think I have a social responsibility. My flower shop is part of the local community and there are expectations of us. It is both nice and at the same time a huge pressure. The flowers should be at someone’s home on the kitchen table and that is where they fulfill their function!
We have customers who come every week and want their Friday bouquet. Or some come only once a year, the week before Christmas and are going to buy their amaryllis. That’s a nice regular too. Or she who comes in once a month and buys three carnations with a sprig a little skeptically. She was in the other week with her daughter and happily explained that “this is the flower shop” with a big smile! It’s nice and warms the heart when you hear it!
How are you as a manager?
It is difficult, but I try to be a good manager. I myself have been employed by different managers in the past and I try to summarize it and take the best from each of them and take it further.
I try to see which way is best for the individual, and some things we do differently and it can work fine! I’m trying to have the best interests of the staff in mind.
I make schedules so that everyone gets the best out of the week by, for example, keeping full days even for part-time and not just adding an hour here and there. It makes sure that everyone gets to do everything so that there is a rotation of chores. I check with everyone, so that everyone is in agreement.
In trade, every hour has to be as efficient as possible, but I think it’s more important that you have continuity for the employees.
How do you work to be more environmentally conscious?
That’s the hard part. For example, we work with Fiber Floral instead of regular oasis in 95% of our funeral binders. It is a bit problematic with higher decorations. Maybe a customer will transport it himself in a car for a longer distance, for example. Then it might be better to use the old knitting compound so you know it holds together.
Then you can ask how much it does for the environment. It may not use any plastic, but it still uses a lot of energy. We will see the results in a few years.
We tie the bouquets with jute or twine. We use less steel wire and steel clamps. For the ribbons we use bamboo grill skewers, and the ribbons we have are degradable as they are made of starch.
It’s hard to find the right thing in the jungle, but we try to choose growers and retailers who work more sustainably.
What challenges do you see ahead?
The environment is a big point. The competence and craftsmanship are probably the most difficult. To find trained personnel who want to work. Many want it as a hobby, but someone has to tie the bouquets and someone has to wash the vases. The craft professions are difficult to find competent personnel for. You can teach people in the shop, but the deep craft knowledge is gained at the school desk.
I hope there will be more training in the country. There are good florist training courses in Sweden, but more are needed to meet the demand for well-educated florists with a focus on the craft and who want to help drive development forward. You can’t live on nostalgia.
