FTD Fire Sale
- Thread starter BBJ (Big Bad John)
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It's hard to reconcile the thought of all that baloney coming from the company whose undervalue orders I have been rejecting for two days...annoying cr***p at a holiday.
Although all of the TF "Make a Wish" orders at $30 total are a great nuisance as well!
Not the market I am cultivating!!
Although all of the TF "Make a Wish" orders at $30 total are a great nuisance as well!
Not the market I am cultivating!!
Doug Munro
Well-Known Member
It never cease to amaze me.......
Wow, Can you believe it
A floral company that actually "markets" during a peak period.
Lets face it the average retail flower shop views floral holidays as a given for adding to their bottom line. Typically their is very little real marketing done, sure a few emails go out, maybe the occasional newspaper ad, in rare instances even some radio. The gist of message typically is the same
"Buy from us we are here"
Usually no call to action such as a real savings to the consumer, in many cases prices are not even mentioned. God forbid that a discount may have to be given.
Why are we so horribly out of step with retail in general when it comes to marketing our product
When do you find the biggest sales on toys? Christmas
When do you find the biggest sales on outdoor products? Spring & Summer
When do jewelry chains advertise the heaviest and promote savings? Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, and Christmas
I could go on but I think the above examples make my point.
Here we have a company (FTD.com) in the flower industry that actually approaches a peak period and takes advantage of it from a marketing point of view to maximize their sales. In most industries they would be viewed as an example.
If any of us wonder why this industry is struggling as this question
Why is it that the only people seriously marketing our product are so hated and villianized (FTD, Proflowers, 1-800-Flowers).
Maybe we should all take a lesson from their example.
I suggest that before you roast me alive for this post you think about two things
1) I am not a spokesman for FTD or anyone else, simply an individual pointing out facts
2) Ask yourself....
What did you do to market your product?
Did you provide extra value as a call to action?
Did you advertise prices?
Did you just assume that they will buy because they need flowers?
Good luck with Mothers Day
Wow, Can you believe it
A floral company that actually "markets" during a peak period.
Lets face it the average retail flower shop views floral holidays as a given for adding to their bottom line. Typically their is very little real marketing done, sure a few emails go out, maybe the occasional newspaper ad, in rare instances even some radio. The gist of message typically is the same
"Buy from us we are here"
Usually no call to action such as a real savings to the consumer, in many cases prices are not even mentioned. God forbid that a discount may have to be given.
Why are we so horribly out of step with retail in general when it comes to marketing our product
When do you find the biggest sales on toys? Christmas
When do you find the biggest sales on outdoor products? Spring & Summer
When do jewelry chains advertise the heaviest and promote savings? Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, and Christmas
I could go on but I think the above examples make my point.
Here we have a company (FTD.com) in the flower industry that actually approaches a peak period and takes advantage of it from a marketing point of view to maximize their sales. In most industries they would be viewed as an example.
If any of us wonder why this industry is struggling as this question
Why is it that the only people seriously marketing our product are so hated and villianized (FTD, Proflowers, 1-800-Flowers).
Maybe we should all take a lesson from their example.
I suggest that before you roast me alive for this post you think about two things
1) I am not a spokesman for FTD or anyone else, simply an individual pointing out facts
2) Ask yourself....
What did you do to market your product?
Did you provide extra value as a call to action?
Did you advertise prices?
Did you just assume that they will buy because they need flowers?
Good luck with Mothers Day
steve
Well-Known Member
I agree with you to some extent Doug but don't paint us all with the same broad brush I been doing taboild type advertising at the holidays for 15 years and have now added e mail marketing to that . Many other shops also market and yes I say more then 50 percent do nothing other then a yellow page ad.
But the bigger issue is our not marketing as unified front and force. Instead those of us that do market can not create large waves but rather small ripples.
But the bigger issue is our not marketing as unified front and force. Instead those of us that do market can not create large waves but rather small ripples.
dhamil6490
Active Member
prestonway
Well-Known Member
FTD's not the only ones...but exactly what are you suggesting, Ryan?
:wallhead::wallhead:
I tell ya,,, I was on hold for 30 minutes yesterday morning on this very topic,,, I was told to just reject the order,,, or send a message asking for more money and I would probably get it. I can't remember how many times this week we had to explain to a customer on the phone that those picture were so misleading,,, am just about fed up with it,,, and then the N### orders for 27.99 for roses and gerbera,,,. Who are the wire services kidding? How does that customer feel about the transaction,,, not very well I suppose. I had one customer who called us "direct" tell us that after they ordered a 35.00 fresh arr,,, their total charges were 59.00. Talk about taking advantage? sorry about the ramble
Mikey the Flower Guy
It's a GREAT DAY to live, and love!
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prestonway
Well-Known Member
No...but there's a few customers this week that I wanted to say "EAT ME"!
(hopefully I hung up the phone before I said it out loud...)
lol
dhamil6490
Active Member
Ain't it though... Just received an order from my website from a California customer. Bear in mind we're located in central Ohio. The order is for delivery TODAY to an Ohio city 108 miles away! :itchy:
RC in Dayton and Cincinnati
New Member
Doug,
You are right on the money with this post.
Much of the conflict comes in because wire services were built on the backs of florists and florists are their customers. The wire services used to drive traffic to florists because both mutually benefited.
Today, wire services drive traffic to themselves. They have become competitors to their very own lifeblood, florists.
It's human nature to complain about the competition and their aggressive marketing.
You ask a lot of thought provoking questions. Now here's one for you. If your company started competing directly against it's own florists do you think your franchisees would be happy?
RC
TOTO
New Member
And, THATS' DA DIFFERENCE, ey?
Right on RC!
Could we ever imagine franchisors like McDonald's, Burger King, or Wendy's, offering DA PUBLIC 50% OFF on dropped shipped Hamburgers at their HQ websites? Never gonna happen since their business model requires their franchisees to be profitable, which is why all of their marketing efforts are always focused on DRIVING THE CONSUMERS to their retail outlets.
You hit the nail on the head when you point out that, there was once a time when, all the marketing the WS's did was focused on driving the consumers to their member florist's flower shops, thus a WIN WIN situation for both entities.
Today, and rather than the DRIVE TO MENTALITY, it's become the DRIVE THROUGH ANOMALY, as the WS's drive the 100% sale business to themselves and collect their $ervice charges. After which, they subcontract those highly discounted orders back to their own member florists at seventy cents from the consumer's dollar, and NOTHING for the delivery $ervice.
Talk about HOLD THE PICKLE, HOLD THE LETTUCE, while having it THEIR WAY!
Running a SALE at a WS website isn't a problem for them. Not having to have any perishable inventory, absorb any labor costs, and provide our "in their nice warms hands personalized delivery $ervice", the WS's are SCOTT FREE from THE FLORIST FRAY!
The anomaly in our industry is over the fact that, while the florists complain about the marketing their WS partners do, they still fill their highly discounted orders and are expected to absorb the additional dues and fees associated with partnering up with their competitors.
Strange set of bedfellows, in my opinion.
As to when to run a sale? Seems to be just about everyday of the year and for every product your selling these days.
I'd put our industry in the same category as Restaurants.
Restaurants have NO SALES on the HOLIDAYS. In fact, they have a limited menu selection, set times for their table seating, and an automatic 18% gratuity added in for GREAT FLAVOR.
And, in between times, while many offer coupons for a buy one, get 50% off the other, their black out periods are Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, because they already have the weekend business and are only looking for the added weekly business from Monday through Thursday.
I have no problem with daily CASH & CARRY SPECIALS and a few of those on Holidays too.
The only other discount we offer is our EARLY BIRD SPECIAL where we reward the customers who place their orders in advance. They get to earn $1 per day and up to $10 if they place their order 10 days in advance at our website only!
After that, and since we don't have a machine in China knocking off widgets 24/7/365, we'll market to the 100% sale customers along with their 100% $ervice charges IN OUR COFFERS, and let the WS's along with their dOG's, fight amongst themselves to be the LOWEST MAN ON THE TOTEM POLE.
Just wanna be sure they can't build their TOTEM POLES on my back though!
:buttkick
Right on RC!
Could we ever imagine franchisors like McDonald's, Burger King, or Wendy's, offering DA PUBLIC 50% OFF on dropped shipped Hamburgers at their HQ websites? Never gonna happen since their business model requires their franchisees to be profitable, which is why all of their marketing efforts are always focused on DRIVING THE CONSUMERS to their retail outlets.
You hit the nail on the head when you point out that, there was once a time when, all the marketing the WS's did was focused on driving the consumers to their member florist's flower shops, thus a WIN WIN situation for both entities.
Today, and rather than the DRIVE TO MENTALITY, it's become the DRIVE THROUGH ANOMALY, as the WS's drive the 100% sale business to themselves and collect their $ervice charges. After which, they subcontract those highly discounted orders back to their own member florists at seventy cents from the consumer's dollar, and NOTHING for the delivery $ervice.
Talk about HOLD THE PICKLE, HOLD THE LETTUCE, while having it THEIR WAY!
Running a SALE at a WS website isn't a problem for them. Not having to have any perishable inventory, absorb any labor costs, and provide our "in their nice warms hands personalized delivery $ervice", the WS's are SCOTT FREE from THE FLORIST FRAY!
The anomaly in our industry is over the fact that, while the florists complain about the marketing their WS partners do, they still fill their highly discounted orders and are expected to absorb the additional dues and fees associated with partnering up with their competitors.
Strange set of bedfellows, in my opinion.
As to when to run a sale? Seems to be just about everyday of the year and for every product your selling these days.
I'd put our industry in the same category as Restaurants.
Restaurants have NO SALES on the HOLIDAYS. In fact, they have a limited menu selection, set times for their table seating, and an automatic 18% gratuity added in for GREAT FLAVOR.
And, in between times, while many offer coupons for a buy one, get 50% off the other, their black out periods are Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, because they already have the weekend business and are only looking for the added weekly business from Monday through Thursday.
I have no problem with daily CASH & CARRY SPECIALS and a few of those on Holidays too.
The only other discount we offer is our EARLY BIRD SPECIAL where we reward the customers who place their orders in advance. They get to earn $1 per day and up to $10 if they place their order 10 days in advance at our website only!
After that, and since we don't have a machine in China knocking off widgets 24/7/365, we'll market to the 100% sale customers along with their 100% $ervice charges IN OUR COFFERS, and let the WS's along with their dOG's, fight amongst themselves to be the LOWEST MAN ON THE TOTEM POLE.
Just wanna be sure they can't build their TOTEM POLES on my back though!
:buttkick
You let us down
TOTO, You let us down.
The wire services are a florists best friend. They spend all "their" money advertising to the public in a huge effort to grab business for "their" florists.
They create all those 3 sided arrangements that they photograph looking so lovely and huge and then they put them into those very beautiful and expensive made in China "collectable" containers to help florists who might not know how to make a Mother's Day floral arrangement.
And why do you make it seem that they don't do anything for "their" florists. Keep in mind the most successful florists are those who fill the most incoming wire orders.
All those discounts and advertising are just meant to make the holiday go easier on " their" florists by making the phones ring at the wire service headquarters rather than bother florists who are all ready too busy making and delivery wire service arrangements
Your posts always minimumize the services that wire services do for "their" florists.
TOTO, You let us down.
The wire services are a florists best friend. They spend all "their" money advertising to the public in a huge effort to grab business for "their" florists.
They create all those 3 sided arrangements that they photograph looking so lovely and huge and then they put them into those very beautiful and expensive made in China "collectable" containers to help florists who might not know how to make a Mother's Day floral arrangement.
And why do you make it seem that they don't do anything for "their" florists. Keep in mind the most successful florists are those who fill the most incoming wire orders.
All those discounts and advertising are just meant to make the holiday go easier on " their" florists by making the phones ring at the wire service headquarters rather than bother florists who are all ready too busy making and delivery wire service arrangements
Your posts always minimumize the services that wire services do for "their" florists.
I have to wonder though....
why do the wire services do this when the florists are a large source of income for them? If the florists go under that takes a large portion of their easy money away from them. They don't have to inventory any product, pay the labor for the product and they get a big cut of any order that goes through them to a local florist. Why would they want to kill off the local florist?
Doesn't make sense to me.
avenuegardensflorist
Well-Known Member
...would you not consider this enabling?
Bloomz, are you getting soft? Or did you just think you were gonna make a little bit off this bum?:spintongu
prestonway
Well-Known Member
I would think bloomz would consider this taking away a customer from .COM.
Very wise business decision for a very low cost, my friend!
Nope not soft a bit, ruthless.
Enabling what? Customers to buy from me - ok, if that's enabling count me in.
Got one back, thank you. :spintongu
and now they get to experience my Standard Setting service - lucky customer.
Why - do you think I should have sent them over to ftd.com?:itchy:
I sure can't stop them from offering up discounts. Hey maybe we should petition?
PS - I still did make money on her.
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