The National Retail Federation says that most children tend to give or send their moms flowers and cards on Mother’s Day. However, gifts of electronics, housewares, gardening tools, special outings, books, and more can see a sales spike as we celebrate our mothers and mother figures on Sunday, May 9.

Whether we present her with a fresh floral arrangement or another gift to show her our love, the Internet of Things (IoT) plays a big part in getting those things in our hands so we could place them in hers. From commercial greenhouses to production lines to stores, IoT devices help grower, manufacturer, and retailer operations run smoothly 24/7.

IoT sensors help create gifts and get them where they need to be, even when a manager or worker isn’t right next to them.

Consider the Path Mother’s Day Flowers Take to Market

It can get complicated. Luckily, the IoT and its managers take care of a lot of the worry and logistics for us to help make our moms feel special on their day. There’s a lot that happens with flowers to get them in your shopping cart either in-store or online and to your dear mother’s home.

The supply and cold chain can sometimes cross states and even oceans and continents. For example, many flowers in the form of bouquets, corsages, or potted plants travel to your mom in the United States from fields and greenhouses in Latin America.

Picture this:

• Workers cut and bundle flowers first thing in the morning.
• Most flowers are packaged in cold rooms and placed in refrigerated containers or boxes.
• Wireless IoT sensors and codes are attached to boxes and cooling units for tracking and scanning by growers, distributors, and retailers.
• The containers are placed in trucks with temperatures just above freezing for transport over highways to airports.
• After arrival, flowers are stored in temperature-controlled distribution centers before packaging and shipment directly to your mom and floral shops and retail stores.

Throughout the entire growth and cut-to-cart processes, IoT devices ensure there aren’t disruptions, so flowers stay fresh.

Sensors Make Moms Happy

Of course, your mom doesn’t need to know that IoT devices like Monnit Sensors and Gateways had so much to do with making her day so enjoyable. But here’s a favorite child pro tip: If you share with her what went into your generous act of gift-giving, you might impress her even more with your smarts.

Feel free to tell her about our sensors' excellent care and oversight in the fields, greenhouses, cooling systems, shipping containers, delivery vehicles, and shops. Another pro tip: Share some math about how flowers have a shelf life of about 10 days and that even one disruption in the cold chain like a refrigerator breaking down could equal a 10% loss in flower quality.

You can also tell her the story of how growers used sensors to monitor soil moisture, ambient temperatures, and relative humidity in flower fields and greenhouses for many days and weeks before her flowers arrived. Tell your mom that Monnit Sensors and iMonnit IoT Monitoring Software gave flower distributors and florists:

• Visibility into when a refrigeration unit is too hot or cold
• Insight if and when the freezer or cooling system requires maintenance
• Understanding of what measures to take to preserve flower freshness
• How to improve worker safety and reduce spoilage to boost quality and cost savings

Finally, share with her how this was all done so you could help her have the wonderful day she deserves.

Happy Mother’s Day from Monnit!