Florist To Florist

[Doug Munro]

Pie in the sky questions aside. The reality is that shops have closed left and right, and there will be another round of that before the end of 2012. That leaves big coverage problems and that is why I believe that everybody will eventually come to some sort of consensus.

I agree that change is required, however I don't necessarily agree that any changes the wire service industry can make would have saved shops that have closed or will do so in the future. Our industry as a whole is going through a lot of change, our product at one time was a specialty item, now it is simply a commodity available at grocery stores, big box stores, or shipped directly to a consumers home via an online site at a far lower price that from a retail florist. As Bob Dylan would say .... the times they are a changing.

Unfortunately too many in our industry at the retail level have a difficult time accepting that or making the changes required to survive. I find it interesting how many times on this board someone will talk about bringing back the good old days, or argue in defense of a position that the facts simply will not support.

Sure the wire service side has changed from 25 years ago and impacted the florist, but so has the amount of flowers sold to the consumer thorough supermarkets and big box stores (for Valentines 2011 these outlets accounted for over 50% of flower sales).

The bottom line is that the retail floral industry is facing many of the same challenges that other retail sectors have gone through and unfortunately some will fall by the wayside.

 

[flst4evr]

I am somewhat off topic here but while I see changing commission set up to greater benefit filling florists is apealing, I would consider it completely unrealistic. Half of FTD orders are FTD.com and they are hardly about to cut their profits in half. I personally don't find the fact of order gathering to be my "pet peeve" of wire services, it is the underpricing. I guess there are locations in North America that can fill at their pricing but they are at least 30-40% underpriced for anyone in Ontario. Add to that the fact that they false advertise by not allowing for flowers in the back of their arrangements and I simply have to reject 100% of these orders, I don't get the "cherry picking" allusions, a $100 order is as unfulfillable as a $40.00 one for me. I do however work with what I consider an EXCELLENT order gatherer. Their pricing is completely rational, they have very well explained substitution policy, they call us to see if we can fill exact product or time specific requests and communicate any subs or expectation issues with their customer, they have a website that explains that they work with a network of like florists and we have an excellent relationship. I don't begrudge the commission they receive, I'm sure it costs a lot of advertising dollars and social networking time to get the orders. Sure I wish their customers were my customers instead but It is a great sorce of revenue, turns over stock and increases our buying power and I get some exposure through filling orders, every recipient gets a bus card and brochure etc.
The wire services are increasing their monthly charges to florists at an insane rate and offering less for it. How many of you have complained and how often about each fee increase??? It reminds me of Theatres adding advertisements before a movie. A reporter pointed out that paying for a movie, you shouldn't have to watch ad's and everyone coming out of the movie he interviewed agreed. The Theatre's reponse was that suprisingly, they had only received 2 complaints in a year.

 

[anytimeflowers]

I do however work with what I consider an EXCELLENT order gatherer. Their pricing is completely rational, they have very well explained substitution policy, they call us to see if we can fill exact product or time specific requests and communicate any subs or expectation issues with their customer, they have a website that explains that they work with a network of like florists and we have an excellent relationship. I don't begrudge the commission they receive, I'm sure it costs a lot of advertising dollars and social networking time to get the orders. Sure I wish their customers were my customers instead but It is a great sorce of revenue, turns over stock and increases our buying power and I get some exposure through filling orders, every recipient gets a bus card and brochure etc.

Care to share who that is?

 

[flst4evr]

They haven't branched into the US at this point, based in mid west Canada and only have presence in major Canadian cities.

 

[Clarabella]

I agree that change is required, however I don't necessarily agree that any changes the wire service industry can make would have saved shops that have closed or will do so in the future. Our industry as a whole is going through a lot of change, our product at one time was a specialty item, now it is simply a commodity available at grocery stores, big box stores, or shipped directly to a consumers home via an online site at a far lower price that from a retail florist. As Bob Dylan would say .... the times they are a changing.

I'm sorry, but anyone that subscribes to this viewpoint WILL be out of business soon if they aren't already. Our "product" as florists is NOT flowers. Our "product" is service and design. The shops that do well and thrive are those that add value to flowers. Doug is right, flowers themselves are a commodity, but I don't know many brides that can pick up some flowers at Costco and make their own bouquets, nor many grandma's that whip up grandpa's casket spray in their kitchen, or guys that have wow'd their girl with gas station flowers on their anniversary. A florist should never consider a grocery store competition.

The critical point now is drawing the line in the sand and not giving away our "product" for free. That is EXACTLY what WS and OG's want you to do. They cover the cost of the commodity flower and expect you to give away your design and service for free. Sadly, many florists are willing to do it. As more and more florist draw the line in the sand it WILL get better. The shops that continue to drink the WS koolaid will go under. WS and OG's will compete for the cheap drop-ship "commodity flowers" orders---let them. The surviving shops will be healthy and profitable selling their service.
The jewelry department at Kmart and Walmart didn't put fine jewelers out of business. Sure, it hit them for a while, but now.....Kmart and Walmart are getting rid of their jewelry counters......why, because the mass-merchant business model has never and will never be successful at what the little guy does best---personal service and adding value! People TRUST their jeweler, florist, etc. They go to walmart for a watch for their teenager or cheap flowers for the vase in the hall.

 

[jamie]

I agree that change is required, however I don't necessarily agree that any changes the wire service industry can make would have saved shops that have closed or will do so in the future. Our industry as a whole is going through a lot of change, our product at one time was a specialty item, now it is simply a commodity available at grocery stores, big box stores, or shipped directly to a consumers home via an online site at a far lower price that from a retail florist. As Bob Dylan would say .... the times they are a changing.

I'm sorry, but anyone that subscribes to this viewpoint WILL be out of business soon if they aren't already. Our "product" as florists is NOT flowers. Our "product" is service and design. The shops that do well and thrive are those that add value to flowers. Doug is right, flowers themselves are a commodity, but I don't know many brides that can pick up some flowers at Costco and make their own bouquets, nor many grandma's that whip up grandpa's casket spray in their kitchen, or guys that have wow'd their girl with gas station flowers on their anniversary. A florist should never consider a grocery store competition.

The critical point now is drawing the line in the sand and not giving away our "product" for free. That is EXACTLY what WS and OG's want you to do. They cover the cost of the commodity flower and expect you to give away your design and service for free. Sadly, many florists are willing to do it. As more and more florist draw the line in the sand it WILL get better. The shops that continue to drink the WS koolaid will go under. WS and OG's will compete for the cheap drop-ship "commodity flowers" orders---let them. The surviving shops will be healthy and profitable selling their service.
The jewelry department at Kmart and Walmart didn't put fine jewelers out of business. Sure, it hit them for a while, but now.....Kmart and Walmart are getting rid of their jewelry counters......why, because the mass-merchant business model has never and will never be successful at what the little guy does best---personal service and adding value! People TRUST their jeweler, florist, etc. They go to walmart for a watch for their teenager or cheap flowers for the vase in the hall.

amen to that!

since this thread has been successfully hijacked, I'd like to add a few points:

1) we are still the number one choice for gift giving delivered same day. Right now there is not really a major competitor other than Edible Arrangements (aka colon blow). However, if we continue to be weak as an industry, entrepreneurs will see any easy market share to capitalize on and they will fill the need. (this is exactly why we have OGs in the first place)

2) we need to stop making it so @@@@ed hard for customers to buy things from us. Flowers are a luxury item at EVERY PRICE POINT. The person who spends $10 on a handful of daisies is using 100% disposable income to do that, just like the person who spends $200 on an exotic vase design. Start paying attention to your client's buying trends and have what they PROBABLY want on hand and ready to go. Make every transaction, fast, efficient, and pleasant. Do some to research to find out who your core market is and focus on them.

3) flowers are expensive, but that doesn't mean you can't design affordable options. I go through my local grocery floral dept every time i am in there, and I see the same thing every time. Cheap arrangements that are overpriced. They are uninspired, ugly, and full of flowers that would end up in my garbage can. We should be able to make profitable beautiful arrangements for every price point and MAYBE you will see customers come in more often.

4) The same thing goes for your website. JF, FTD.com, TF and others have $29.99 options on their site and shops will fill those at a 30% discount, but call those same shops and they will tell you that there is a $35.00 minimum. Those same shops will throw away 10 arrangements worth of flowers every week because they went bad. I added Make A Wish to my site at $24.99 because I was refusing 15 to 20 of those orders a month. My web orders doubled, and now I get the full value plus my $10.95 processing fee (we use that for delivery). It is nothing but filler flowers. My CoGS is probably 15% on that item. I wish we sold 1000 of those a month. There are lots of customers out there who want to send something to say they care, but they can't invest $60+ unless it is some really special occasion.

 

[bootcampguy]

Since your preach'in, i'll pass the plate......

 

[Doug Munro]

I agree that change is required, however I don't necessarily agree that any changes the wire service industry can make would have saved shops that have closed or will do so in the future. Our industry as a whole is going through a lot of change, our product at one time was a specialty item, now it is simply a commodity available at grocery stores, big box stores, or shipped directly to a consumers home via an online site at a far lower price that from a retail florist. As Bob Dylan would say .... the times they are a changing.

I'm sorry, but anyone that subscribes to this viewpoint WILL be out of business soon if they aren't already. Our "product" as florists is NOT flowers. Our "product" is service and design. The shops that do well and thrive are those that add value to flowers. Doug is right, flowers themselves are a commodity, but I don't know many brides that can pick up some flowers at Costco and make their own bouquets, nor many grandma's that whip up grandpa's casket spray in their kitchen, or guys that have wow'd their girl with gas station flowers on their anniversary. A florist should never consider a grocery store competition.

The critical point now is drawing the line in the sand and not giving away our "product" for free. That is EXACTLY what WS and OG's want you to do. They cover the cost of the commodity flower and expect you to give away your design and service for free. Sadly, many florists are willing to do it. As more and more florist draw the line in the sand it WILL get better. The shops that continue to drink the WS koolaid will go under. WS and OG's will compete for the cheap drop-ship "commodity flowers" orders---let them. The surviving shops will be healthy and profitable selling their service.
The jewelry department at Kmart and Walmart didn't put fine jewelers out of business. Sure, it hit them for a while, but now.....Kmart and Walmart are getting rid of their jewelry counters......why, because the mass-merchant business model has never and will never be successful at what the little guy does best---personal service and adding value! People TRUST their jeweler, florist, etc. They go to walmart for a watch for their teenager or cheap flowers for the vase in the hall.

I believe the numbers speak for themselves, the number of florists in North America gets smaller every year. One of the reasons (not the sole one) for that is 50%-60% of flower sales have moved away from the florist. The math is pretty clear.

While I agree that a good portion of a florists business is service and design the reality is the product they sell is still and always will be flowers. Arguments relying on this sort of logic are best reserved for around drinks at a florist convention, in the real world the consumer to a huge degree has spoken. If you don't believe me just stand outside of Costco or a Safeway for an hour at Valentines Day and count the customers coming our carrying roses.roses that used to be sold by florists!

Yes, if shops are to do well and thrive they MUST add value to the product, but please don't assume that all florists are created equal. Lets be frank there are many shops in existence that simply do not have the skill or knowledge to succeed in today's model. Actually our business in a lots of ways is like a restaurant, 5 dollars worth of fresh ingredients, a good cook, good service, and the right ambiance and a restaurant can charge 20.00 for a plate. However to get that price everything MUST be present in the right proportions. If a restaurant is missing one or is weak on a couple they will struggle or fail. That describes many a florist, good design skills (cooking) but poor customer service, great customer service but poor ambiance (stores a mess), fresh ingredients but poor design skills ...and so on and so forth.

I suspect why the WS models have become such targets is many of the florists have simply learned to rely on incoming orders rather than doing the things they need to build their business locally, now it has come back to bite them. Filling incoming orders is easy, running a business correctly is hard work....go figure.

I would never suggest that as an industry the retail florists days are numbered, In fact I believe strongly that we are going through a change that will result in the cream rising to the top. Fewer, but better quality floral shops in years to come, much like the local butcher, unfortunately there will be a lot of suffering until then.

One last thing, I don't know where Kmart or Walmart stands in the North American jewelry market, however Costco is one of the largest retailers of jewelry going. All done from that little glass cabinet that generally sits by the electronics aisles.

 

[anytimeflowers]

I suspect why the WS models have become such targets is many of the florists have simply learned to rely on incoming orders rather than doing the things they need to build their business locally, now it has come back to bite them.......

In a nutshell, that is my opinion as well. I think it goes further though. It is/was very easy to be mesmerized into wanting more orders, and that is how so many florists ended up belonging to every service out there, especially as daily local sales began to dwindle due to the ease and popularity of the internet.

 

[Mikey the Flower Guy]

Doug,....DUDE....AWESOME POST!!

 

[Doug Munro]

In a nutshell, that is my opinion as well. I think it goes further though. It is/was very easy to be mesmerized into wanting more orders, and that is how so many florists ended up belonging to every service out there, especially as daily local sales began to dwindle due to the ease and popularity of the internet.

Take it one step further yet, over the years some florists ignored their own day to day operations to an extent as the incoming orders rolled in. I am not suggesting it was intentional or even major, just little things. You know, maybe worrying more how the variety of product in their cooler suited incoming orders, or which vase they could buy the cheapest to ensure making more money filling orders, letting the cooler get bare because the arrangements went out for incoming orders, etc, Nothing in itself enough to chase customers away, however maybe combined these things were just enough to make a customer stop at the shop (or supermarket) down the street to see what they had.

 

[bootcampguy]

Very true, wanting more orders and then not doing anything will all of the information from the order. Customers are "begging" for people to take their money and provide services for them. But some/many simply just don't understand the sale. I once didn't either, I went and got educated and now I know how to make the business grow and can explain how to make a business grow and watch my profits rise. I start off every presentation with a slide that says this" We lack the clarity in defining who we are and what we sell, we've let others take on that role for us". As facebook as re-defined how friendships are maintained, I hope and pray that FFC can change the definition of how flowers are bought and sold. It's worth a try........Marketing is not "rocket science" it's 5 - 7 systems in place and that cycle over and over as often as possible...........Florists wanted more orders because that's all they knew........now the average florists is much better educated on service and products.

 

[Clarabella]

I believe the numbers speak for themselves, the number of florists in North America gets smaller every year. One of the reasons (not the sole one) for that is 50%-60% of flower sales have moved away from the florist. The math is pretty clear.

While I agree that a good portion of a florists business is service and design the reality is the product they sell is still and always will be flowers. Arguments relying on this sort of logic are best reserved for around drinks at a florist convention, in the real world the consumer to a huge degree has spoken. If you don't believe me just stand outside of Costco or a Safeway for an hour at Valentines Day and count the customers coming our carrying roses.roses that used to be sold by florists!


Sorry Doug, but I think your viewpoint is dead wrong, and those that try to run their business around that thought process will not be in business much longer. Suggesting florists product is "flowers" is like saying Jiffy Lube's product is "oil" or McDonald's product is "ground beef". Yes, florists use flowers in their product and the cost of those flowers is passed on to the customer, but the true product of a florist is the design and service. period.

You are correct. Costco sells "flowers". That is their product within the industry. Once upon a time (and occasionally now) a florist will sell "flowers" but that is not what their marketing efforts or survival should focus on. Costco sells flowers, oil, ground beef etc targeting the customer that wants to complete the "service" portion themselves to save money. There will always be those customers, and it would be foolish for a florist to attempt to compete with big box for them. Instead, florists must market the design and service (value) they add to the flowers. This is what the customers are paying for.

Grocery and big box have sold "flowers" for well over 20 years now. This is nothing new. The rapid increase in their market share is largely due to the recession, as is the overall decrease industry wide. Basic economic principles show that during times of economic downturn people cut luxury items completely, or they trade down to cheaper alternatives--hence the reason big box has seen a boom, and is aggressively going after the market. This is not isolated to the floral industry. McDonalds has very successfully taken marketshare from Starbucks for the same economic reasons. The question becomes will the retail florist adjust their business model to retain as many customers as possible (Jamie had some great points on that) and will they be poised to win those customers back as the economy strengthens, or will they simply concede the business to mass and do nothing. In relation to this post, it most likely means dropping the WS model. It is not possible for a florist to pay a WS the amount of fees needed and satisfy the customers budget at the same time. There MUST be change. The florists that do nothing will not survive. You again are correct that there will be a consolidation of florists and the ones that survive will be the strongest. (gotta love Darwin)

The customer has never "spoken" as you suggest. Trends and consumer habits are constantly changing and evolving. The trend today will not be the same as the trend in 3 years or 10 years. EVERY business in EVERY industry, big and small, must evolve and change their business model in order to survive. The key for retail florists is are they willing and ready to evolve and fight for their future? Are they ready to be innovative and show the customer the difference between "flowers" and a "professionally designed floral arrangement" and the value they are getting for their money. Personally, I think any florist that is serious about evolving and remaining competitive needs to stop relying on WS for business, Stop giving away their product (service and design), Market themselves, Bring their business into the digital age, and stop trying to sell "flowers", and sell their product!

The customer had once "spoken" that the Sears catalog was the best shopping method around. They also spoke that Kmart was the best retailer in America. They also spoke that Walmart's "lowest prices" with no service was the best model, now Walmart is desperately trying to reinvent their model as it is failing them miserably. I could go on and on, but ultimately FLORISTS are in the best position to determine how the customer "speaks" tomorrow. Unlike Mass and Grocery, florists have a relationship with their customers. Their encounters with customers are interactive and engaging. FFC has a great opportunity to use this advantage to help determine the future of the industry. Are we as florists going to reinvent ourselves and our business models to be successful in the future (McDonalds, Kroger, Kohls, Clarabella Flowers), or are we going to sit back and let ourselves become irrelavant and go from the top of our industry to the bottom, or out of business (kmart, woolworths, montgomery wards, FTD, TF

 

[Doug Munro]

I believe the numbers speak for themselves, the number of florists in North America gets smaller every year. One of the reasons (not the sole one) for that is 50%-60% of flower sales have moved away from the florist. The math is pretty clear.

While I agree that a good portion of a florists business is service and design the reality is the product they sell is still and always will be flowers. Arguments relying on this sort of logic are best reserved for around drinks at a florist convention, in the real world the consumer to a huge degree has spoken. If you don't believe me just stand outside of Costco or a Safeway for an hour at Valentines Day and count the customers coming our carrying roses.roses that used to be sold by florists!


Sorry Doug, but I think your viewpoint is dead wrong, and those that try to run their business around that thought process will not be in business much longer. Suggesting florists product is "flowers" is like saying Jiffy Lube's product is "oil" or McDonald's product is "ground beef". Yes, florists use flowers in their product and the cost of those flowers is passed on to the customer, but the true product of a florist is the design and service. period.

You are correct. Costco sells "flowers". That is their product within the industry. Once upon a time (and occasionally now) a florist will sell "flowers" but that is not what their marketing efforts or survival should focus on. Costco sells flowers, oil, ground beef etc targeting the customer that wants to complete the "service" portion themselves to save money. There will always be those customers, and it would be foolish for a florist to attempt to compete with big box for them. Instead, florists must market the design and service (value) they add to the flowers. This is what the customers are paying for.

Grocery and big box have sold "flowers" for well over 20 years now. This is nothing new. The rapid increase in their market share is largely due to the recession, as is the overall decrease industry wide. Basic economic principles show that during times of economic downturn people cut luxury items completely, or they trade down to cheaper alternatives--hence the reason big box has seen a boom, and is aggressively going after the market. This is not isolated to the floral industry. McDonalds has very successfully taken marketshare from Starbucks for the same economic reasons. The question becomes will the retail florist adjust their business model to retain as many customers as possible (Jamie had some great points on that) and will they be poised to win those customers back as the economy strengthens, or will they simply concede the business to mass and do nothing. In relation to this post, it most likely means dropping the WS model. It is not possible for a florist to pay a WS the amount of fees needed and satisfy the customers budget at the same time. There MUST be change. The florists that do nothing will not survive. You again are correct that there will be a consolidation of florists and the ones that survive will be the strongest. (gotta love Darwin)

The customer has never "spoken" as you suggest. Trends and consumer habits are constantly changing and evolving. The trend today will not be the same as the trend in 3 years or 10 years. EVERY business in EVERY industry, big and small, must evolve and change their business model in order to survive. The key for retail florists is are they willing and ready to evolve and fight for their future? Are they ready to be innovative and show the customer the difference between "flowers" and a "professionally designed floral arrangement" and the value they are getting for their money. Personally, I think any florist that is serious about evolving and remaining competitive needs to stop relying on WS for business, Stop giving away their product (service and design), Market themselves, Bring their business into the digital age, and stop trying to sell "flowers", and sell their product!

The customer had once "spoken" that the Sears catalog was the best shopping method around. They also spoke that Kmart was the best retailer in America. They also spoke that Walmart's "lowest prices" with no service was the best model, now Walmart is desperately trying to reinvent their model as it is failing them miserably. I could go on and on, but ultimately FLORISTS are in the best position to determine how the customer "speaks" tomorrow. Unlike Mass and Grocery, florists have a relationship with their customers. Their encounters with customers are interactive and engaging. FFC has a great opportunity to use this advantage to help determine the future of the industry. Are we as florists going to reinvent ourselves and our business models to be successful in the future (McDonalds, Kroger, Kohls, Clarabella Flowers), or are we going to sit back and let ourselves become irrelavant and go from the top of our industry to the bottom, or out of business (kmart, woolworths, montgomery wards, FTD, TF

You speak of the "florists" as if they are one cohesive group with the same vision, drive, skills, business acumen, and direction. There is nothing that could be further from the truth.

"Florists" in fact consist of thousands of individual businesses all with their own opinions and methods of running their business. Yet somehow you feel this "group" is the only one capable of determining what the consumer wants and how to provide it.

Yowser! You might as well attempt to herd cats. Even trying to form a group of any substance whether it be SAF, AIFD, or FFC is a challenge.

You are speaking about individual entrepreneurs all with their own opinion of what is best to save the industry.

All the companies ( I cant speak personally about Clarabella Flowers although you have included your shop in this group) you use as examples of being successful in their sectors have leadership that makes decisions that ALL locations follow. They also invest heavily in advertising, ongoing renovations, and national and regional marketing. This is not likely to take place at any time amongst mom and pop florists who struggle to meet the rent each month.

And yes the consumer has spoken, intentionally or not, following trends or not, at the end of the day if the consumer has taken his business elsewhere it all has the same net effect. If you don't believe this ask your local butcher (there used to be one every second block), if you can find one.

You refer to "professionally trained floral designers", maybe you can enlighten me as to where this training took place for these these tens of thousands of individuals, what credentials their instructors have, and what standards were followed.

Suggesting that the recession is the reason that supermarkets and big box stores are seeing a bigger share of the consumers flower dollar may well be true. However it does not mean the problem is any less serious, every dollar that leaves the florist is very unlikely to ever come back. The consumer is nothing if not a creature of habit, and with the advantages the supermarkets have (price, convenience, and in many case quality) most will continue to buy flowers there.

All I can say is that if you believe "evolution" is on the florists side, good luck as you may be joining the DoDo bird. I do agree with you that the florist needs to reinvent themselves, something that as an organization our company is continuously attempting to do, however I fear that many florists out there are incapable or at the very least resistant to change. Too many prefer the good old days. In fact FFC original call to action was the classic example, change the WS's. Unfortunately that boat has sailed, as you so aptly pointed out "EVERY business in EVERY industry, big and small, must evolve and change their business model in order to survive.", unfortunately for the florist that is exactly what the WS's have done over the last decade and a half.

None the less I hope that your are one of the ones (along with the vast majority) standing beside us when the dust finally settles.

 

[Hollywood]

No florists should work with "Just flowers", we do not.
All every one has to do is call your rep and request, (with a loud voice and threats) to be taken out of "Just flowers" list.
We have done it and when I say use a" loud voice and threats" it was absolutely necessary. It took 3 requests but we FINALLY do not receive orders from "Just Flowers".
You might have to talk to Tom Moller he is a the top of the ladder.
The first order of business is "To take them out" ONE BY ONE.
We do not work with or for "Just flowers" if everyone one of you, "Pals" do the same we will as a group take "Just Flowers" out of business, then we will take on the next case.
One by one, Brothers and Sisters, one by one...........this is the only way.
As a group they are too strong, individualy they are doable, just like us, as a group we are too strong.
So what I suggest is: Stop complaining and just decide to not work for or with "Just Flowers" and call Tom Moller
to request to be taken out of the list of "Just Flowers".
You got to be persistent or you have to shut up and be miserable.
The French say " l'Union fait la Force" in English it says " Group is Strength"
Got it??
So do it, you can use our name as a reference with Moller, it might make your request faster, ( I already cleaned the field for you guys, as a good partner)
"One by One" and "All together".
This works for all, problems, customers, flowers, etc.....and mostly for WS"s and surely for "Just Flowers".
They are toooooooooooo cheap............we hate cheap ......anything here @ www.countryflorist.net
Good day now and be happy you are not alone, we are a group.......a strong group :jester

 

[Clarabella]

First of all I would like to apologize if I have ever implied, or construed that all retail florists need to run their businesses as a cohesive group with the same vision, drive, skills, business acumen and direction. This would be the worst possible scenario for the retail florist. The biggest strength of the retail florist is that they are independent, unique, innovative and have the ability to adapt and market their business to the community they operate in. Speaking in terms of economic fact, while large companies account for the majority of marketshare, sales dollars and employment, small and mid size companies account for over 75% of all innovation. That innovation is what drives the evolution of the business world. The large companies I used as industry leaders all have one thing in common. They all started as a small, independent companies facing feirce competition in industries dominated by very successful companies that had leadership that made decisions that ALL locations followed, invested heavily in in advertising, ongoing renovations, and national and regional marketing. At their inception, they were barely able to pay their rent, but they all were determined to be successful, drive innovation and were confident in their ability to provide value to the customer. The point I am trying to make to retail florists is to be innovative, wow the customer, and attack your competition at their points of weakness. Do not let WS, big box or anyone else define your business model and do not try to compete with them directly. They reached the top of the food chain with the innovation their business model embraces. You will not be better at it than they are. The only way to beat them is to do what they did--come up with a better business model.

Evolution is absolutely on the side of the independent florist and small business. Companies grow and get to the top of the food chain because they innovate and change the business landscape. It is not easy, and not every small business will become a big business but odds are pretty good that some of the innovative and dedicated florists reading this post will be a part of the evolution if not the drivers of it. The companies at the greatest risk of becoming the "dodo bird" are in fact the large companies that have much more difficulty innovating, and responding to change. Of the 12 original companies that comprised the Dow Jones Industrial Average (companies with so much clout they were considered representative of the entire US economy), only ONE remains on the DJIA today--General Electric. Every other company was displaced by a small company that was innovative and drove evolution in their respective industry. This cycle has been occuring for hundreds of years, and will continue for hundreds more.

Suggesting that customers are creatures of habit and are unlikely to come back to a retail florist is an unfounded statement. Consumers are anything BUT a creature of habit. They want the newest, coolest, neatest, hippest, and best value. If they were creatures of habit as you suggest we would still be ordering from a Sears catalog and their would still be butcher shops on every other block. If they were creatures of habit, retailers would have no need to constantly invest in ongoing renovations as you stated. The implementation of loyalty rewards programs by almost every large company is due to the fact that the vast majority of customers are not loyal creatures of habit. The reason large retailers constantly attempt to revinvent themselves is to stay relevant and prevent the other guy from stealing their customer. The reason large retailers fail is because they dont innovate and stay current. The reason small businesses grow and prosper is because they are much better at innovating and improving the customer experience. The key for any retail florists survival is to reinvent their business and be the newest, coolest, neatest, hippest and provide the best value. If they do that, customers WILL return. The business will prosper. If they continue to use the same old business model and hang on to a sinking ship, they will go down.

As for the value and qualifications of a "professionally trained florist" perhaps it is easiest to first define a professional florist. The most appropriate definition of professional in this context is "a person who is an expert at his or her work" (dictionary.com). I dont think it is a stretch to say that most (not all) but most florist are experts in their work, especially in comparison to a grocery stocker who takes the flowers out of the box and adds water to the bucket. While some professions require formal education or certification, (Although many florists do participate in formal programs) others are learned trades that are developed and passed from one generation to the next. The vast majority of florists I have encountered are true professionals. They are dedicated, passionate, artistic individuals that have earned the title "expert" in their field.


JFK said that "those who only look to the past and the present will certainly miss the future". If you focus on reforming WS, competing with Costco or worrying about the good ole days, you will miss the future. I for one, don't miss the past, temper my concern for the present and focus on the future. I will never stop encouraging ANY entrepreneur, florist or not, to do the same. I can assure you will never find me standing when the dust settles because I refuse to stand still that long. When the dust settles I will be waving to those left standing from the top of the hill.

 

[Hollywood]

One last thing, I don't know where Kmart or Walmart stands in the North American jewelry market, however Costco is one of the largest retailers of jewelry going. All done from that little glass cabinet that generally sits by the electronics aisles.[/QUOTE]
Dear Doug,
When you buy jewelry you should always carry a loupe. And you should not buy jewelry for your Darling Sweetheart at Kmart or Walmart or Costco.....no...no...no.
I was once in Costco looking for a diamond ring for my wife, I was then shopping and explore all possibilities.

Costco was one of them, had my loupe with me and checked out few rings.......all crap.

Their 14 carats gold is worth nothing.
Never went back.

So carry a loupe and see what you get.
As long as flowers, they are cheap but they are crap too.

Our flowers are prime quality and the freshest, that is why we have people asking us constantly
what the "Hell" we are doing to our flowers.......they just don't die......maybe a couple of weeks later. We just buy prime quality, often and take care of them.
"If you take care of your flowers they will take care of you"

If you want to buy jewelry go to a jewelry store.......pick the best and loupe what you are interested in.
If one needs to buy flowers I suggest going to a flower shop.

There you will find, quality, service, and dependability.

One pays for what he gets.

Cheap is cheap.

Quality is not cheap. Quality is often expensive or let say pricey.

A couple of times people told us that the flowers at Costco are cheaper.......we showed them the door...........about that for customer service.


When we shop for food we go to Safeway we do not go to a florist.

When one needs flowers one MUST go to a florist........not to Safeway or Costco.
Thank God a lot of our customers are men in need for a pardon...they get in our shop desperate
I tell them my speciality is to take care of men in trouble and make them popular again.
It never fails.

To brake the ice on their first visit I tell them, believe me, I know your situation, in my case I had to buy my wife an entire flower shop to be forgiven of my many mischiefs and guess who is here working every day?????????? ME.
Don't forget the loupe (I am not sure of the spelling of this word but lets use another one).....
A MAGNIFIER.

My father told me when I was a teenager" A man must have 2 good friends.......a florist and a jeweler" that was a long time ago back in France. Here in America you must have a good lawyer too, I got a few in the past.

Good day now Doug and good shopping :jester

Henry and Sherry FISER
www.countryflorist.net

 

[Mikey the Flower Guy]

OK, we're getting NOWHERE here........sounds typical, SOMEONE had to say it!!

 

[duanermb]

OK, we're getting NOWHERE here........sounds typical, SOMEONE had to say it!!

This proves my theory that "selling" and order at $x and sending at $x-$y-$z is the best way to go. Ie: Skimming is not a dirty word. Commissions are silly. You have a dozen roses on your website for $49.99 and I have a dozen roses order to send you, and have $60 for you to fill with delivery - and it's none of your business what I sold them for. That is between me and my customer.

This IS the solution to the issue. end of short rant. But I did blog about this a while back too.

Added: The filler's penance for me sending them the order is the transmission fees.

 

[Hollywood]

I have a suggestion...................EZBloomers.com :jester