Evans Flowers sits tucked away on Warren Street, a relatively remote location that the shop’s owners admit doesn’t draw much traffic. Yet, the store is a Peabody institution, having operated continuously since its founding in 1875 — making it the nation’s longest continuously operating flower shop. It is certainly a remarkable feat for a brick-and-mortar store in the digital age.
The store has been under the stewardship of Dennis and Michele Feld since 1984, when the couple bought the shop and its six greenhouses. The couple sought to own a business together and Michele, now an accredited member of the American Institute of Floral Designers, explained that she has long had a passion for flowers.
While its footprint has shrunk over the years, with only one greenhouse remaining, Evans Flowers remains a staple of the city’s business community.
Dennis explained that they tore the greenhouses down following the retirement of the store’s grower, when they found themselves unable to compete with commercial growers. The existing greenhouse now serves as just a display area, with flowers coming in from local wholesalers and the Holland Flower Market. Roses are brought in from Ecuador and Colombia.
It’s clear Evans Flowers has had to adapt with the times, and Dennis pointed to the internet as the single biggest factor change across the nearly four decades he has owned the shop. The advent of online flower stores, where anyone can claim to provide local and fresh flowers on-demand, has made going to a brick-and-mortar store more of a specialty experience.
“People come here because they want something,” he explained. “People still want to come in. They want your advice. They want to touch and feel and see. They want to hear you say you’re going to take care of them.”
That customer service is a big part of what Dennis said sets Evans Flowers apart.
Funerals and weddings make up the bulk of the business nowadays, and while the store has a daily business, it “takes a lot of $60 orders to make up a $1,200 funeral,” Dennis said.
Roses are the most popular flower — and Dennis said customers expect roses in each and every arrangement or bouquet they sell. Perhaps as a result, Michele did not cite roses as her favorite flower when asked, opting for orchids instead.
The Felds and their staff have earned considerable acclaim over the years, winning several Best of Peabody and Best of the North Shore awards. They have also sought to integrate themselves into the community. Michele is the co-founder of No Child Goes Hungry in Peabody, which feeds 350 kids each week.
Michele is really the brains behind the floral arrangements at Evans Flowers, while Dennis oversees bookkeeping and customer interfacing.
“You have to love it,” Michele said. “It’s always hard, it never gets easier.”
