No cooler, what would you do?

[BOSS]

Background: 3 local wet trucks a day stop at local shops, not all hit all shops

OK, here's the scenario: A shop (shop A) that has been in business about 10 years recently moved from their original location (has been a shop for 30 years) to a much smaller space on main street, and is operating out of a soda pop cooler, and will continue to do so, since they have no room for a real cooler.

Then we have another (shop B) that has opened up in a out of the way location, run by a designer (daughter of former employee (passed away) of my dad, who left us and operated his own shop (sold after he died) for 3 decades) that has NO cooler what so ever, and is concentrating on event/party/hotel/country club work (because of her connections).

My question is this, would you contact the other "Real Florists" in town that have coolers and are playing for real and form some sort of alliance to take to the wholesalers regarding them dealing with these shops?

I'm having a struggle here... the mortal side of me, in light of the economy and my business expenses wants to go after the wholesalers to get them to stop dealing with these two shops, but the spiritual side of me says...let bygones be bygones and that they will eventually get what they deserve.

(Yes Mikey there is a fight going on inside... right now the bad wolf has a slight lead...)

 

[LOTAKIDS]

FREE ENTERPRISE... what America is made of..

I deal with this all the time, people who work out of their homes for events.. have business license or not. Have one wholesaler who will sell to everyone and their aunt and one who has uped their minimum to discourage ladies who just want a couple of things to pretty their house because my husband has a business license..

You just have to figure how to say one step ahead of the person working out of their house and the one who is not keeping their stock in a cooler, so be it, people will know when your product last better than thiers.

A little competition never hurts.. and as long as they have a business license there is probably not much you can do to demand the wholesalers from stop selling to them.

PS.. I feel your pain

 

[CHR]

I don't believe it's legal to encourage a distributor stop trading with competitors because the competitors lack a piece of equipment like a floral cooler.

I know of a couple shops that do not have coolers and go to the flower market three times a week to keep inventory fresh. They have to rotate products out fast - and have been doing it for years. Not they way I'd do business, but it works for them.

Consumers will decide of those florists have let their quality slide by forgoing refrigeration.

 

[Luc]

Sound like me when the other florist was up for sale a few months ago. When she sold it to a past employee of mine, it bothered me a little bit so that I needed to find out how she is doing.
THen I have decided to Concentrate on me and my shop and the hell with her because I know her.
I know that I can give better service, better quality, better choice of product etc because that is what I believe.
SHe is limited in product selection, cash flow, service, BUSINESS EXPERIENCE, and so much more.
With the help of the wire services that will help her improve sales with those low incoming orders we will see what happens.

So I have decided to up my game plan, move on, educate people, up grade some skills, and just let her be what she wants to be.

My shop has been around for 20 years....that one...changed hands 5 times in my 13 years I have been in business....

SO Mark....don't be greedy, concentrate on you and your shop, and move on....But that doesnt mean you have to buy from that wholesaler does it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Luc

 

[ctherose]

I would encourage you to let it go. You are right, they will get theirs in the end, and if not, then at least you didn't look like a jerk for trying to destroy their business. Just as Karma will eventually find them, so too it will find you.

 

[Tracy D'Amico]

I would encourage you to let it go.

Ditto one more "let it go".
Business is frustrating sometimes; there are so many battles to be made, choose yours very wisely. You won't "win", in any shape of the word, if you pursue this.

 

[Tom Carlson]

How important are coolers

Boss, your instinct to put pressure on the wholesaler is a normal reaction. That's how I would like to do it. It's the "painless way out"

But it probably would not work permanantly, meaning they might stop for awhile, but it will crop up again.

 

[BOSS]

Wise words all....

Thanks guys.... much appreciated....

Romans 12:12 and Psalm 40:2 come to mind....

Have a blessed day!

 

[cherrie]

This would be a good time for our friends across the big ocean to jump in.
I have always heard that coolers are not necessarily a part of European flower shops? Is this true?

I find that some flowers do much better not in a cooler - like hydrangea, sunflowers, bells, veronica, orchids, tropicals. I know that I should have a lower temperature cooler, but don't. My new wonderful cooler stays between 34-38 degrees.

 

[SpringCity]

I was going to mention what Cherrie said. Across the pond a lot of florists don't use coolers, I hear.

I am a real florist by all standards (just a very small one) ...I only have a small cooler and so I do carry quite a few tropicals and keep them out. Customers seem to respond well to buckets of flowers within easy reach and not behind glass, btw.

But I know what you refer to; hobbyists. Some of the wholesalers here will sell them supplies but not fresh, some will sell them anything and everything and there is not a dang thing I can do about it. I don't feel like it's my place at all. I can choose not to use those companies but the one I'm thinking of has really nice prodcut so I want to use them. I say let it go. Those hobbyists will either burn out, fade away, or get a clue.

 

[Mikey the Flower Guy]

Boss, your instinct to put pressure on the wholesaler is a normal reaction. That's how I would like to do it. It's the "painless way out"

But it probably would not work permanently, meaning they might stop for awhile, but it will crop up again.

Tom's valued "advice" is sage......ordinarily, I'd love NOTHING better than to "exert" our business influences on the people that supply us, BUT, what is rather "unique" is that wholesalers, yours and mine, already KNOW that you'll likely be displeased with them selling to "non-traditional" shops, so IF you wish to exert the same, I'd say form an "alliance" and demand "group pricing" as a buying group.
EVERYONE is "trying" to cope with the economic influences, sometimes rightly, sometimes wrongly, BUT, YOU are WHO you are, your BUSINESS is who you are, and "retaliatory" is NOT who you are....
They WILL fade.....unless they provide EXCELLENT service like YOUR shop!!
By the way Mark...we've seen it all.......

 

[Sher]

Breathe deeply and remember the man you are not the man you use to be...these folks think they are playing for real...they probably won't last but you will be a better person for just letting it go...and your heart will be less heavy in doing so.
Sher