FlowerPetal.com Really a Florist in Chicago?

[CHR]

FlowerPetal.com received some terrific publicity in an article in Scientific American right before V Day. The article included:

According to Flowerpetal.com, which tries to limit the environmental impact of flower purchases, sending the roughly 100 million roses of a typical Valentine's Day produces some 9,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from field to U.S. florist. So what's a lovesick, albeit "green," beau to do?

The article received 98 Diggs.

I posted a comment there:

It's totally puzzling why a floral wire service affiliate marketer (call center only, and not a florist) like FlowerPetal.com would be mentioned in this article. They stock no flowers and have no control over the origin of the roses provided by the local florists who make and deliver the FTD and Teleflora items shown on their site.

'Green' flowers are a hot topic in the floral industry and solid strides, to improve both cultivation and transportation, have been made in the last few years. Nice to see that work mentioned.

and just realized the company's owner refuted my post, claiming they are a real local florist:

CathyR, I'm sorry, but you are wholly in error. FlowerPetal.com is a local delivering florist with designers, coolers, delivery vehicles and of course flowers! We also offset the carbon emissions associated with all the flowers we sell in addition to buying environmentally friendly flowers when possible from our local wholesalers.

Their site is sporting a logo from CarbonFree.org.

Now you and I both know they do not touch the flowers in the vast majority of their orders - but do they now actually operate a florist in the Chicago area?

Google Maps shows 3 locations (one marked as unverified). The addresses are:
2140 West Fulton Street, Chicago, IL‎ - (312) 563-0400

FL 15, 200 S. Wacker Dr., Chicago, IL‎ - (800) 959-3341 (clearly in an office building)

Ste 605, 36 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL‎ - (312) 251-9550

None of these locations are listed on the website, and IIRC they used to list a Las Vegas address.

Anybody from the Chicago area aware of them actually delivering flowers these days?

 

[BamaE4U]

Checked the Google Street View. . .

Some areas are not clear, but most look like office buildings.

 

[Mac]

I blogged about flowerpetal's location back in October and was able to come up with a picture of the Technexus building where flowerpetal operates from the 15th floor. See here: http://floristseowatch.blogspot.com/2008/10/flowerpetalcom-in-residence-at.html

 

[inferno63]

On google maps "street view" 2140 W. Fulton is certainly NOT a retail florist location. It looks like an industrial office building with no store front.

 

[CHR]

Mac -

Well, either they have a flower operation somewhere, or they are less-than-truthful. Clearly, the Wacker Drive address is not the location of the flower shop (although they do use it and another address like B&M locations in AdWords.)

Glenn -

I checked the Fulton Street address on G's street view but it's impossible to tell what lies behind that long brick wall.

Just realized they have a listing in Flower Shop Network. Says they're in Unit 1.

Spellham, you out there to fill us in?

 

[LJVF]

They are listed as a filling florist in the FTD Directory, the Fulton St. address is listed:

FLOWER PETAL
2140 W Fulton St Ste I
CHICAGO IL, 60612
(312)563-0400

Looks like they are open weekdays and half day on Saturday.

Edit add: They are also a Teleflora filling florist as well. The Wacker Dr. address is their Flowerpetal.com location, the Fulton is their Flower Petal location.

 

[bloomz]

There's another address in the directory
1609 N Wolcott Ave
#101
Chicago, Il 60622
phone 773-238-6132

the Randolf St sounds like a 6th floor to me but this 800 number 800-959-3341

Then they're listed as a SFO in Las Vegas

I can only find an FSI code for the Randolph St one - which one did you find the TF code for D?

edit I found a Bloomnet code for the Fulton St location - yup then the Wacker st one has a TF code.

So they're members of at least 3 wire services - only one I can't find is FTD. But a few images there are FTD's.

But does this mean they are a B & M that is kicking ass with order gathering?

Cuz if this is the case it's a whole nuther animal in my book than just an office OG

What's needed is a Chitown florist to tell us if they really have a shop is all.

 

[LJVF]

I can only find an FSI code for the Randolph St one - which one did you find the TF code for D?

This is what I have for their TF listings:

Flower Petal
2140 W. Fulton St.
Chicago, IL 60612

#312-276-5450

Owner: Scott

Flower Petal.com
200 S. Wacker Dr., 1
Chicago, IL 60606

312-244-3796

 

[CHR]

The store came well after the OGing. They were SFOs for years and have claimed addresses in both Chicago & Las Vegas. Neither appear on the website.

IIRC, they use to SEO for JustFlowers and decided the business was just right for them.

Might be they opened a store to make them look legit,
Might be because a WS threatened to kick them out so they opened a shop,
Might be because they really want to sell flowers since they're so pretty. :>

I'm hoping some Chitown shop will enlighten us with a photo of their cooler.

 

[kath]

I'll check out the Fulton address next time I'm in that area. It's mostly an industrial area there.
Kath

 

[keith]

Flowerpetal revealed

2 or 3 years ago trhey made top 100 6 mo after opening. they were a couple of IT guys who were doing some IT work for just flowers and thought this is easy money stealing from stupid florists. they set up thier company in Nevada to avoid taxes but are in Chicago. they have not store or reason to have a store. this is all the reasons to mark a "shop" as DNF.
they have never bought a flower or paid a designer.
6 months after start up they were top 100 with FTD, these types have no loyalty, last year FST switched to BN to get abigger rebate, its all about how much they can screw out of the WS. Period.
please dont mistake these DOGs as real shops.

Keith

 

[kath]

I went by the Fulton St. address the other day. There is no retail flower shop at that address. Maybe a design or order fulfillment center, but I doubt it. Maybe a call/computer center, if anything. The building directory says enter thru alley. Sorry, not this girl in that neighborhood!
Kath

 

[LOTAKIDS]

I received an order from them a few months ago. Thought the name of thier shop...Flowerpetals.com was interesting and started to do some research and found the same things. Listings in high rise in Chicago, and the others. I decided that it would go on my DNF list and rejected the order. I couldn't find the B&M shop.

Thank you for more insight into this deceptive og.

 

[Chezbloom]

Well obviously the WS love these guys and other deceptive OGs just like them and there are clearly no laws to prevent them and Google does'nt seem to mind them lying. I'm thinking of putting together an email with the "Google Spam report" link info and sending to every real flower shop in the Minneapolis, St. Paul area. So far, I am the ONLY one that has tried to leave reviews outting them for what they are. Half of my reviews wont show up on Google but I keep submitting them. I don't know if other shops around here will bother to leave a review or to report them as spammers. But I will. p.s., I'm referring not just to flowerpetals but to any of the fake shops that are popping up in the top 10 results using mostly zip codes with fake map locations and phoney local numbers that forward to G-d knows where.

 

[bloomz]

I used to do that - contact the other florists all around here (50 mile radius) and try to get us on the same page as far as DOGS. I personally walked a long letter explaining it all in detail to each of them.

I accomplished zip.

I did a test order, warned them all to reject it, and had a shop owner deliver it to my shop herself. Duh.

Be prepared to be met with blank stares and lip service.

Apathetic? Me? Absolutely.

Them?

I truly think they weren't smart enough to realize the gravity of it all.

I mean this nicely when I say - yer spinnin yer wheels.....

 

[Chezbloom]

Bloomziekins, I believe you are correct. Skru it. It reminds me of a party I went to three years ago at the house of a shop owner I used to work for. I had just begun to discover the tangled web of dOGs and such. The shop owner had and still has 1800,ftd and tf. When I started telling people of my discoveries, they told me to shut up.
They dont want to hear it really. So, I guess, let em keep filling the orders and worry about my own doorstep so to speak.

 

[wildflowerschicago]

I will be downtown tomorrow and will check out those locations. I also asked one of my downtown wholesalers, he has never heard of them (as actually EVER having bought flowers or supplies).

Additionally, I agree with Kath...I can't see a retail florist (or even a call center) operating at the Fulton address...that's west of the United Center and a pretty dodgy area!!!!! No offense, but I'm not going there!

edit to add: I highly doubt there is any retail space on the higher floors of those hi-rises...all retail is contained on the 1st floor, mezzanine (sp) and lower levels. Something definitely stinks here!

 

[CHR]

Mr. Crummy's comment about their retail operation (from the comment section of the Scientific American article):

I assure you we have a design center in Chicago located at 2140 West Fulton. It's not retail store front, we don't need one as our website generates plenty of business and takes the place of a storefront. It's fully equipped with designers, delivery drivers, numerous vehicles, a 300 Sq Ft main cooler, and smaller coolers for tropicals. If I could upload photos here I would. We purchase flowers down the street from AJF Wholesale. Fernando (AJF's owner) and I have had multiple conversations concerning organic and fair trade flowers. I wish you the best MollyMeMe, but encourage you to get the all the facts before you defame FlowerPetal.com.

Brian Crummy
President
FlowerPetal.com

It's funny that their address is not found on their site, and that their call center employees (two with whom I spoke) know nothing about them running a real flower shop operation anywhere.

I would really like to know the truth on this one.....

 

[BOSS]

300 sqft "Main Cooler"... my bathroom here is bigger than that...

SideTrack: Not sure how, but had a BloomsToday customer call the store to inquire about a delivery for today. Explained to him that we rejected the order at 7am this morning, he wanted to know why, so I told him, and that he could have saved $14.95... he was not happy, but did not call back either...somebody filled it...

 

[CHR]

SideTrack: we rejected the order at 7am this morning, he wanted to know why, so I told him, and that he could have saved $14.95... he was not happy

Are you sure he wasn't happy with the fact you rejected it?

Was he a local customer? Had he placed an order with your shop in the past? Is so, what made him decide to go through Blooms Today?

How did he end up calling your shop to inquire about the order?

I know you're well versed in discussing these issues in consumers. Just interested in how you spun it to this customer.