Mother's Day Arrangement Project

[CHR]

As promised in the FTD thread, we've put together a couple fast, easy arrangements for Mother's Day.

I called Whitney at BlumeBox and had her send a nice sampling of 6" and 8" boxes.

Arrangement #1 - Temporary Name: Gerbera BlumeBox
Target - Young Mom

Recipe:
1/4 bu Bupleureum $5/bu = 1.25
12 Assorted Bright Gerberas @.75 = 9.00
8" BlumeBox @ 1.80 plus 20% freight (est.) = 2.16
1 yd. sheer polka dot ribbon est .30
-----------------
Total coast: 12.71 (please note, cost is an estimate - your mileage may vary!)
One-sided
Assembly time: just minutes
Suggested retail: $39.95


Arrangement #2 - temporary Name: Blue Blume Box
Target - Martha Stewart Fan

Recipe:
6" Blue BlumeBox @ 1.60 plus 20% fresight (est.) = 1.92
1 st Stargazer/Acapulco lily @ 1.50
1-1.5 st Lavender Matsumoto Asters @1.00
1 st green hypericum .50
1/6 bu seafoam statice .60
3 springs rosemary .50
1/5 bu waxflower 1.00
1/6 bu beargrass .50
1 mini green hydrangea 1.10
1 yd pink wire ribbon @.30
-------------------------------
Total cost: $8.62
One-sided
Assembly time (a bit longer than the gerberas)
Retail price - $29.95 - $34.95 (could add another stem or two)

Would you keep this one lower priced or add stems to bring it up to $35?

Do be aware that the boxes need to be stored on dry shelves in your cooler or they will mar. They're available wholesale with a minimum order of 25 pieces (assorted colors and sizes are OK.)

I still have the designs here and can re-shoot the photos if changes are needed. Final copies will be cleaned up with white backgounds and drop shadows added.

Suggestions? Feedback? Is this something you can use to complete with drop-shippers?

 

[master J]

Thx Cathy! They look great! I will order some of these and give it a try, Ill be sure to tell her you sent me

 

[CHERYL BAKIN]

Cathy:
As always, your design & images look great!

Just a couple of suggestions.
On # 1 with the gerbers, I would consider running the ribbons down the box, and under & up the other side (striping style). It looks really cool...instead of the usual "bow". this would entail going from a sheer ribbon to a solid --

I think the price points are very saleable.

# 2 arrangement -- since I personally find that consumers tend to like things all arround, I would add a stem or so, and make this an all around arr. instead of 1 - sided.

Pretty cool though!!

Cheryl

 

[theflowersmith]

Cathy,

We have never tried these, but they interest me. Did you wire the gerberas? They look so perfect!

 

[CHR]

I would consider running the ribbons down the box, and under & up the other side (striping style). It looks really cool...instead of the usual "bow". this would entail going from a sheer ribbon to a solid

The plastic bag liner is being held down and concealed with ribbon in both arrangements. If you tuck the liner entirely into the box, you'll run a very big risk that the recipinet will water outside of the liner and ruin the box.

Horizontal ribbon can be added, but IMO it's still needed at the neck. (see photo attached below.)

Since I personally find that consumers tend to like things all arround, I would add a stem or so, and make this an all around arr. instead of 1 - sided.

Makes sense. One-sided really isn't an issue here as long as customers understand that's what they're getting.

 

[CHR]

The gerberas are not wired - fresh out of the cooler. We don't generally wire unless they go in foam (and I am not fond of the straws since they look so "plastic").

 

[CHERYL BAKIN]

Cathy:
I thought that was what you were doing. (my ideas were not meant as a criticism -- just as a suggestion).

We fold the bag over & then use the ribbon down, under & back up....both ways, (so that each side has a stripe down). When you start at the top & finish at the top, a staple will secure both the ribbon & bag into place. We have not had a problem with anyone watering the box.

We have also tried double faced tape, to hold the liner to the box, and that was also successful.

(we have used these for several wedding centerpieces, and shower pieces last summer -- worked well.).

Ribbon can work both ways. Tied around the top (as you did) we found had a tendancy to slide off, unless secured to the bag in some fashion. Also, bag can slide down into the box.



Cheryl

 

[Knife's Wife]

I wanted to try these. I was showing them to my husband and making a decision when another florist in our co-op pool delivery started using them. The outside of the boxes were ruined just getting them to the exchange building by their own driver. Our driver did not like delivering them for the other shop damaged, and I was disappointed to see that they did not hold up on the outside.
I have thought about how this could be rectified but have not come up with a solution. Any ideas short of delivering them with no water in them?

Your designs are great as well as you pictures.

I have not seen another box come through the pool for at least 3 months so I think the shop using them may have given up on them.

Joan

 

[CHR]

Boxes (called VOX in Australia and NZ) are popular. We found the best way to handle them is to 1) make sure not to over-fill them and 2) slip a small trash bag over the bottom and remove it just prior to delivery.

The darker colors do show less 'wear and tear' than the white or light pastels.

 

[SpringCity]

I have some of these; also want to warn people not to try to design "into" them like a vase; make a hand-tied and put it in. If you pierce that plastic bag with one stem, you're done.

Love,
the voice of bitter experience

lol

 

[jamese]

Quick, sellable and very appealing Cathy, I agree with Cheryl in our area of the South, they tend to think everything is all around!
Thanks for sharing.

 

[CHR]

OMG Eddie, I hear Rocky's voice in my head whenever we're taking photos. The lady taught me (and a whole bunch of us) a lot about flowers and photography. These are just quickies, though - and the web *thankfully* isn't print.

 

[CHERYL BAKIN]

Like Robin, we have learned to make a hand-tied, and then drop in.
Alternatively, arrange in a glass utility vase, and then drop in at the last minute.

We have also learned to fill the box with only about 1/2 the amount of water and to caution the customer that this "cardboard" -- not a "real glass vase" !!

Joan, we have not used them thru our delivery pool yet!! If anything can get wet, it's thru the delivery pool!

Cheryl

 

[RWK]

To answer your original question Cathy......I think the both of those designs would be a great alternative to boxed flowers or a loose stem bunch.

It is what I have been saying all along - We CAN be better than they are. Not only are those designs affordable and have a great visual value - More importantly, I would buy them.

 

[Joe Mioux]

why one-sided?

that is what TF does.

Differentiation?


I can see one sided for drop shipping, but other than that, I think it is more of problem.

 

[CHR]

If you're going to compete online with LOW price points, when you orient the flowers all around, the designs look very, very (did I say very?) skimpy in comparison to 'national' sites.

Take the 12 gerberas and truly make them all-around and they look far, far less than PFs or any other drop-shippers.

The differentiation is in
1) the 'greens'
2) the container
3) the amount of flowers compared to other florist-delivered sites.

I looked around today and saw most florists at $49 - $59 for 12 gerbs in a vase. PF is offering 15 for $39.95 and the vase is extra.

The container is not perfect, but it is 'green' made from 80% recycled wood products, comes in decorator colors, is in a unique shape that requires few greens to support the flowers, and is under $2 wholesale. Most everything else available to all florists at that cost is same-old, same-old C999-ish glass.

If you know of some cool containers in that price range, I'd love to see them.

 

[CHR]

Gerbera Comparison

1-800-Flowers - $44.95 plus service charge. Arrives in a vase

JustFlowers.com/Flower.com - $48.99 in a vase. $46.99 wrapped (plus service charge)

ProFlowers - $39.95 plus vase and shipping for 15 stems

The problem is, the PF shot looks way better than the florist delivered photos.

 

[hollyflr]

The plastic bag liner is being held down and concealed with ribbon in both arrangements. If you tuck the liner entirely into the box, you'll run a very big risk that the recipinet will water outside of the liner and ruin the box.

When I have used the the Blume boxes for weddings, I pleat and fold the plastic into the box, and tape with clear packing tape just over the rim of the box. This seals the edges.

Susan

 

[SpringCity]

as far as cheaper containers go... yes I do support my local wholesalers for most things, but I have been using Dollar Tree Direct for some of my clear glass vases. The only thing is the styles are limited and what you want is not always in stock.

 

[CHERYL BAKIN]

Cathy:
Syndicate Sales has 2 styles of Cobalt Blue vases featured at a rock bottom price of .99 each!! Pre-order thru them and it's shipped to your local wholesaler for pickup.

Sarah at Pioneer Wholesale (a member here) has some 4 x 4 x 4 cubes in clear at $1.25 each, and very good pricing on other sizes. check her out!

Heck, we have been known to clean off the shelf of our local Target, Walmart, Michael's , etc store if we happen upon a bargain. Even Ikea has had great bargains from time to time. YOu just have to be willing to look, and ask when you find something, as in : If I take 24 of something can you do any better on the price? They often will.

We have found some great buys on the Dollar Tree website from time to time -- as well as Burton & Burton, and others.

The blumebox is a great item -- very much affordable. We have primarily used it for a transporter or vase at weddings. Nice touch without having to go to the cost of glass. Our wedding parties love them!

Cheryl