Winston Flowers is closing downtown Hingham retail shop and will be missed

May 29, 2020 by Hilary Jenison and Carol Britton Meyer

Winston Flowers is permanently closing three of its retail locations, including its downtown Hingham shop, which opened in 2000 as part of the family-owned business and has a loyal following. The Concord and Federal Street shops are also closing.

While the physical location will no longer have a presence, customers may still order deliveries of their exquisite arrangements -- with names like Coral Sunset and Peony Enchantment -- or other flowers, either online at winstonflowers.com or by phone at (800) 457-4901.

Retail flower shops were deemed non-essential businesses at the outset of the COVID-19 outbreak by Gov. Charlie Baker, which meant they had to remain closed for months.

Social distancing and other state COVID-19 requirements would make it difficult to operate the Hingham and other smaller shops even once allowed to reopen, according to Meghan Covington, Director of Sales for Winston Flowers.

"COVID-19 has changed the way we think about business," she told the Hingham Anchor. "It was a tough decision, but because the footprint of the Hingham and other satellite locations is so small, our clients couldn't shop the way they used to because there's not enough space to social distance -- there would only be room for one person inside the shop under those guidelines."

The decision was based "100 percent on the safety issue," Covington said. "What it came down to is that COVID-19 [restrictions] could very well go on for another year, and even then some people might not feel comfortable in such a small space."

The good news, she said, is that Winston Flowers "isn't going anywhere."

If you miss your Winston Flower's "fix" locally, the Winston Flowers Boston Design Studio, which has served as the main center of operations and the core of the business for many years, remains open -- providing safe and contactless floral design delivery and residential services, including exterior garden design installations.

Business has been good there. "Giving is especially popular during these times, because people want to connect," Covington said.

Winston Flowers & Garden also recently reopened to provide clients with an outside shopping experience in Chestnut Hill, providing garden design services for both exterior and interior container plantings.

"Flowers make people happy, and we all need a little bit of that," Covington said.

The Newbury Street Winston Flowers shop will continue to operate, with social distancing guidelines in mind. This is the location where the family business first started operating 75 years ago.

"Our hope is that while Winston Flowers may look different moving forward, our loyal customers [will remain with us]," Covington said. "We have shared so many special moments, [and we hope to maintain those connections]."

According to the Winston Flowers website, “We have celebrated holidays, shared special occasions, and become a part of your lives — as you have become a part of ours.

It is because of this that we are deeply saddened to announce that our Hingham shop will close permanently, effective immediately. Over the past three months, the floral industry, like many other industries, has been impacted tremendously. We've had to make tough decisions, and adjust to growing trends, that will allow us to adapt to a changing environment . . . .While it saddens us that we will not be a daily presence in your community, we hope to remain a constant presence in your lives." -- Ted and David Winston, founders of Winston Flowers.

Hingham Downtown Association Executive Director Lynn Barclay had this to share about this news. “It’s so important that we support our downtown businesses as they start to reopen in the coming weeks. Our downtown needs these businesses, and our community needs our downtown," she said. "Our downtown is the soul of our community, and it’s critical that we emerge on the other side of this crisis with a healthy and vibrant downtown.”

Winston Flowers has been a part of the Hingham community for over 20 years and will be missed.