FTD on the attack??

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BOSS

BOSS

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Oct 31, 2002
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Effective November 1 2005, FTD has announced in a letter to their "GO TO" members that if they continue to remain members of 800Flowers as well that they will be dropped from the "Go to" program.

The letter states 4 points specifically, and has a signature area that is required to be filled out and returned.

Points:

1) FTD/1800-Flowers Florists will no longer be granted "go to" florist status in recieving orders from FTD.com

2) FTD/1800-Flowers FLorists monthly fees to be a member of FTD will be the published monthly charge, which is presently $219.99 per month.

3) FTD will not waive, but instead will charge it's published monthly quality assurance fee to FTD/1800_Flowers Florists.

4) FTD will not waive, but instead will charge it's published monthly reciprocity fees and low sending fees, where applicable, as set forth in the FTD Directory to FTD/1800-Flowers Florists.

The letter goes on to talk about the how you can opt out of 800 and continue to have all the fees waived, what will happen if you are found to be filling for 800 after returning the letter (10% back charge of all FTD.com and 800Flowers order value) and Blah blah blah
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Commentary:

I don;t know, and maybe I am reading too much into this whole mess, but coupling the recent deal with the owners of Delta Sonic and their property developement company, with the notice to the Go To shops that fill for both Da Dot and 800F trying to stiffel fulfillment, that FTD has a plan to build their own retail locations, and eliminate 800F's ability to get their orders filled...

Time will tell, and yes I am grasping here...but dang...
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Have a nice day!
 
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BOSS said:
I don;t know, and maybe I am reading too much into this whole mess, but coupling the recent deal with the owners of Delta Sonic and their property developement company, with the notice to the Go To shops that fill for both Da Dot and 800F trying to stiffel fulfillment, that FTD has a plan to build their own retail locations,!
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You mean an FTD store??? No could it be? I have been saying this is coming for a year now!! And would anybody like to bet me that there will not be an FTD store somewhere this time next year? I'm willing to wager IT ALL!!!!
 
ROBSWF said:
I'm willing to wager IT ALL!!!!
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Better bet would be that I come to Fl and run your store, and you come to Michigan and run mine, oh....say about February :)

Anyway Rob, we can;t bet with each other, for a bet to take place the parties must disagree....
 
I'm just surprised they haven't done it yet ... we've been expecting it for so long. Maybe they are starting to see how much retail can suck? ;)

Ryan
 
Sher said:
Isn't this something akin to "restriction of trade" when you tell independant businesses whom they can do business with.
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The weird thing is… they are not quite putting it that way. Today’s business operates in LEGAL TERMS.

What they are saying in Basic English is…. If you want orders generated by us, you must play by our rules. And for those of you that don’t play by our rules, well, get out your checkbooks because it’s going to COST YOU!!!!
 
It's not restriction of trade when they are only threatening to charge you the posted rate. The nice thing about rebates and discounts is that the florist is not legally entitled, so the WS can suspend them at any time.

Ryan
 
This is just an illustration of the real reason florists belong to wire services.

for the containers... NO
for the technology... NO
for the advertising... NO
for the prestige... NO

for the privilege to receive and fill flower orders at 50 cents on the dollar... DING DING DING YES!!!!

FTD knows this so all members should expect to be paying new and higher fees in the future. If florists are begging to fill at 50 cents on the dollar, maybe they will fill at 45 cents on the dollar too.


RC
 
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BOSS said:
I don;t know, and maybe I am reading too much into this whole mess, but coupling the recent deal with the owners of Delta Sonic and their property developement company, with the notice to the Go To shops that fill for both Da Dot and 800F trying to stiffel fulfillment, that FTD has a plan to build their own retail locations, and eliminate 800F's ability to get their orders filled...
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Sounds like FTD realized that their 'loyal florists' have the same sense of loyalty as they do. None.

Must have come as quite shock for them to see some of their biggest senders/fillers join 1-800-Flowers in pursuit of even more lucrative rebates and to fill even more orders. Awwww.
RC said:
FTD knows this so all members should expect to be paying new and higher fees in the future. If florists are begging to fill at 50 cents on the dollar, maybe they will fill at 45 cents on the dollar too.
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The problem with building up capacity to handle incoming volume is that the 'order faucet' can get shut off while you still have a long-term commitment to pay for the plumbers and pipes. Some of those large fillers may have to cry 'uncle' for a while as they sort out the identity of their best 'partner.' Would be great if a few concluded 'none of the above.'

Pick a team, indeed.
 
Did they also tell ya

That if you fill for dot com you are going TO HAVE TO fill the value program..29.99 medium roses....first it is a charge for the city you deliver to and now it is mandatory or will be that you fill the undervalued...or maybe I am wrong...I am still trying to figure out how you can make money on the 'value" program.... does anyone out there fill those orders and do you make any mney?
My guess is that they ( all WS'S) are going to have a rough xmas season...
The consumer confidence level, the high cost of gas and the fact that McCann is trying to make his company a WS leads me to believe that they are all having a hard time getting orders filled....and all of this new crud from FTD is going to make many of us take a second look at what we do....
 
What's All The Fuss

What's all the fuss about. FTD is only doing what it has always done, TAKE CARE OF FTD.

Besides, if you are one of their preferred fillers, you buy into everything FTD says. And since you are filling orders for FTD and 800FLOWERS, your business model accepts any fees , charges, dues, exclusions that both companies place on your business. Face it the PREFERRED FILLERS have built their business filling wire orders. And most will do whatever it takes to keep those incoming wire orders rolling in.

All this talk about how florists are hurting those companies, PLEASE. Back 25 years ago, the old FTD always said that only 10% of it membership accounted for 90% of its revenue. So the only thing, all those florists who are leaving both wire services are doing is not paying the fees and dues and all the other assorted charges the wire services have dreamed up. And all that does is force the wire services to raise fees on those remaining, because as we all know the wire services need all that free money they get from florists.

Both wire services and 800FLOWERS could care less about any florist, large or small, preferred filler or not. They only care about themselves. They hope florists continue to exist for a little while longer because they need that monthly flow of income they recieve for doing absolutely nothing in return.

But both wire services and 800FLOWERS do make some really nice speeches, about how they are working for their membership. Notice I used the word membership. It a nice word, but the truth be told, none of the companies has any members, they are all for profit corporations. That means they only need to satisfy themselves and maybe their investors. "MEMBERS" is just a nice way of saying revenue providers. Translated, your membership means you get to pay the bills, and not necessarily by making money from them.
 
You mean an FTD store??? No could it be? I have been saying this is coming for a year now!! And would anybody like to bet me that there will not be an FTD store somewhere this time next year? I'm willing to wager IT ALL!!!!
Click to expand...

Or set up in grocery stores. *coughs*like Starbucks*coughs* *wink*

And yes I agree Rob, I too loved Cathy's quote of the day, Had quite the laugh. :)
 
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