Monica Woo out at 1-800-Flowers

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Lori.

You don't need them anymore! Come on I know you want to quit. Just tell them your closing over the summer and you will reopen in september!! Come on its a good idea right?

Seems to me that this may be the perfect time to leave the WS and show them whos in control. I'd like to see how long they would last over the slow summer months with no filling florist.

If only.....
 
CHR said:
It's a tough time for national floral retailers. The last two months we've seen Hallmark, Tesco.com and Wal-Mart.com drop out completely. They can, because floral is just a very small part of what they do. With 1-800, floral is their identity (even though they sell many other gift products.)

The larger issues is whether internet floral sales have plateaued or peaked? Competition is fierce and the market simply isn't growing.

What IMO should be on their radar: When 1 in 3 consumers gives you a negative review and only 50% say something positive, throwing money at marketing isn't the answer.
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Cathy, if you believe in the 80-20 rule and that 80% of the 800 orders are for delivery in the 50 major markets, you can make some interesting assumptions. I can't speak for all the major markets, but in the Chicago area, 1-800 has at least 3 "fullfillment centers" that I'm aware of. For every 10,000 orders that may come into the Chicago area, you can feel assured that those "fill" centers will get 85-90% of the business and the remaining "crumbs" will be passed out across numberous florists. Does anyone think that the vast majority of negitive comments on google is based on orders done through 1-800 florists or the "fill centers"? Which one do you think that 1-800 will be more inclined to send "Martha" orders to? Would anyone be interested in completing the following statement - 1-800 needs florists to A. Fill orders, B. Send orders. C. Pay dues and fees to help pay for their advertising.

Personnally, I don't think the major problem is that internet floral sales has plauteaued or not, but rather the concern should be is how do the surviving florists (if there are any) figure out ways to convince those dissatisfied consumers to give the direct florist a chance before the Big 3 convince them to send something else instead of flowers.
 
RJD said:
This should be on our radar, too. The majority of those complaints seem to center around florist delivered items. That reflects as poorly on us as much as it does them.
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I'd like to know how many of the complaints were made because the florist followed the recipe instead of copying the picture?

How many of the designs look 'skimpy' because the florists are required to give a 7 day guarantee and if they send flowers out as open as they are in the online photos, there's no way they'd even last 4?

1-800 has shown that Plum Crazy vase delivered for $29.95. Yet they don't tell (or show) customers that their florists are given the OK to use a clear utility vase and just tie a purple ribbon on it for 'small' price.

They've increased their service charge to $14 so it's no wonder people think "'I paid $50 and it looks like less than $30" It is a less than a $30 arrangement!

Sure, 1-800 adds/keeps marginal florists to increase BloomNet's bottom line, but that's their choice.

And I'd wager to say both your and my company would be affiliated with them if we believed it would improve our operations and bottom lines.

BTW, Did you notice the link to reviews that mentioned 'local florist' on the left navigation?
If it is a mothersday gift, it would be nice to be able to deliver on mothers day. It said a local florist would deliver it, but UPS did.
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I will never ever order from 1-800 Flowers again - I will only go through a local florist.... BUYER BEWARE!!!
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the local florist did a great job
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arrangement was samller than I expected, for the money I'll probably use a local florist next time so I can see before I buy.
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Why send flowers that you have to put together when you can call a local florist and pay the same price and they are already put toghether??
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On the morning of the second day I got a call and was left a message - they had canceled my order because they could not find a local florist
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Some indeed do have issue with the local florists, but many more problems appear self-created by 1-800's business model.
 
CHR said:
And I'd wager to say both your and my company would be affiliated with them if we believed it would improve our operations and bottom lines.
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True! Been there, done that, got rid of them years ago.

But, a number of the complaints I read had to do with delivery issues, too.
 
Seems to me that 800 tried to get better filling florist and many did sign up since at the time it was unheard of sending their orders to non affiliated stores.

Those two years filling their orders the response from "their customers" was hey this looks better then its ever looked. But we all know what happens when you don't stick to the recipe. I don't believe that their affiliated stores get nearly the volume they used to get and its not just because of the mass sign up of new bloomnet members. Just like many of those reviews say why do we have to put it together?

I am still floored about the Martha Show showing all those florist coming out with her arrangements as she announces

"These are the actual florist that put together these beautiful arrangements and they make sure they get delivered safely to your home after you order them on the internet or by telephone."
 
BOSS said:
Nope not Martha... I only got 2 800F orders for the whole dang week!
:thumbsup:rofl:
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Wow!!!! That is so few......Good I guess kept you ready and available for the 100% sales and all the WO's you could send..
 
From the article: Martha Stewart for 1-800-Flowers.com will make the most of our fresh flowers as they come into bloom," Woo, then president of the company's consumer floral brand, said in an announcement dated April 7. "Our partnership with Martha Stewart Living Onmimedia has left no detail to chance."

Funny thing is that I had a MS arrangement for yesterday. Turns out that one of the components in the arrangement is not available until July! Hello.....
 
CHR said:
I'd like to know how many of the complaints were made because the florist followed the recipe instead of copying the picture?

How many of the designs look 'skimpy' because the florists are required to give a 7 day guarantee and if they send flowers out as open as they are in the online photos, there's no way they'd even last 4?

1-800 has shown that Plum Crazy vase delivered for $29.95. Yet they don't tell (or show) customers that their florists are given the OK to use a clear utility vase and just tie a purple ribbon on it for 'small' price.

They've increased their service charge to $14 so it's no wonder people think "'I paid $50 and it looks like less than $30" It is a less than a $30 arrangement!

Sure, 1-800 adds/keeps marginal florists to increase BloomNet's bottom line, but that's their choice.

And I'd wager to say both your and my company would be affiliated with them if we believed it would improve our operations and bottom lines.

BTW, Did you notice the link to reviews that mentioned 'local florist' on the left navigation?






Some indeed do have issue with the local florists, but many more problems appear self-created by 1-800's business model.
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All I have to say, plain simple and to the point, is, :yourock::yourock::yourock::yourock::yourock::yourock::yourock::yourock::yourock::yourock::yourock::yourock::yourock::yourock::yourock::yourock::yourock::yourock::yourock::yourock::yourock::yourock::yourock::yourock::yourock::yourock:


Thanks, needed that !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
CHR said:
According to an 8-K, Monica Woo was terminated as president of 1-800-Flowers' Consumer Floral brand.

Happened the week after Mother's Day.

Sounds like the holiday went badly. Was Martha a factor? I've seen zero buzz, good or bad, about her new line - and that can't be a good sign.
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My best guess, based on abruptness of the termination, is this may have nothing to do with business. It could be a scandal, either sex scandal or embezzlement, and 1-800 doesn't want anyone to know about it.
 
Baron's had a sort of cryptic comment about Woo's departure:

Recent management change in the consumer floral business is not a cause for concern. In late May, the company quietly announced the departure of Monica Woo, president of consumer floral, in a move unrelated to the business' performance, in our view. We believe consumer floral has held up quite well in a difficult environment, bolstered particularly by the recent launch of the Martha Stewart -branded (MSO) floral line which, in our view, has been largely successful. Over 100 SKUs [stock-keeping units] are now available to consumers and the company's BloomNet florist network has embraced the new product portfolio.
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Emphasis mine. If it wasn't performance, what was it? Maybe goldie is on to something.

Have the Bloomnet florists embraced the new product? How about consumers? I'm still not hearing or seeing much buzz.

1-800-Flowers stock is trading near its 52-week low - at 6.74/share.
 
I had several NEW customers after using TF.com during Mothers Day. They ordered the new Martha Stewart designer florals. Boy were they ever dissapointed.

They learned a hard lesson, on Mothers Day at that. What did they learn? To use a local florist. So, I don't think the new line is going to do anything for TF.
 
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