Small Bowl and Cube designs

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For most customers size matters - they want as big and showy as they can get for $25 or $125. For the more sophisticated, they want a more modern, contemporary arrangement - cube, monocromatic, stylized arrangements. Using key descriptive words can help figure out what the customer has in mind. After all, that should be our goal.
 
marigold said:
Here are a few of my best sellers:
http://www.stemsaflowershop.com/coloradocube.html

http://www.stemsaflowershop.com/fulloflife.html

http://www.stemsaflowershop.com/freshlovely.html

http://www.stemsaflowershop.com/zest.html

http://www.stemsaflowershop.com/lowroses.html

I have a hard time doing anything in a 4x4.
my smallest is 5x5 for 30.00 to 40.00
6x6 is 45.00 to 60.00
7x7 is 60 to 75.00
8x8 100.00 amazing and lush
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Dore, GREAT website. I always look for an indie florist, and I love that you don't have ws stuff, you have your own designs posted, and I would for sure buy from you if I were sending to your town or in town buying!!!
 
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Dore -

The descriptions on your 'Full of Life' bouquet sizes are terrific. They really convey the size differences in a fun, informative way. :)

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Like others mentioned, it's soooo important to describe sizes when it comes to cubes. They look so full and lush on the web, but in real life, they're much smaller dollar-for-dollar than classic long stem vase arrangements.

Here are a few of our popular cubes:

White-Garden-Cube.jpg


Contempo-Rose-Cube-HW0_123365.jpg


Colors-of-Autumn.jpg



Just made this one yesterday for a USC fan so it was in Cardinal (red) & Gold:

379x300.aspx


For us, the key in all of these cubes is to base them with oregonia or pitt so they have supported height in the center.
 
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Gosh, I hate to say this, but I just don't like it at all.

I think if you would have left out the yarrow and the solidago, it would have been better. and if the red carns were hot pink, maybe use 5 hot pink carns, 1 stem green buttons and 1 stem of purple/ lavender mums, I think you would have had a stronger design.

I'm telling you, when all else fails, monochromatic always looks nice and well put together.

The yellow yarrow is too dominate and the solidago, in addition to being the wrong color, it's placement make your eye go right straight out of the design.
 
Shannon,

I didn't have enough low end flowers to keep the price down with mono but I will try your suggestions and see how it goes. I was just trying to keep it fall and I only had one purple cube left. In my small town market I often have to work with what is available. I will design one as you suggest and put it on the website. I love the other cubes and bowls posted here and look forward to more suggestions.

Thanks. :)
 
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inferno63 said:
Shannon,

I didn't have enough low end flowers to keep the price down with mono but I will try your suggestions and see how it goes. I was just trying to keep it fall and I only had one purple cube left. In my small town market I often have to work with what is available. I will design one as you suggest and put it on the website. I love the other cubes and bowls posted here and look forward to more suggestions.

Thanks. :)
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With your cube design Inferno.......couple questions.

In your town/service/delivery area.....How many other shops/ flower vendors are in your area?
How would you classify them? - Traditional, Progressive, Old-fashioned, Modern, etc.?
How familiar are you with the skill level/knowledge of the shop's designers/staff?
How familiar are you with the product lines/merchandise/containers they carry?

Reason for asking - You are trying cube designs and seem to have difficulty selling them........perhaps you should focus more on what they do not have, what they cannot do, or what they do not do......and then adapt your product mix/design styles to that viewpoint......How can I be different from my competitors and give my customers and potential customers a choice?
 
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Good questions.....

I live in the traditional flower belt. Cube designs are around here but not big sellers for other shops either. I have a freelancer who used to work for a now closed floral shop in my area. She says that under her prior employment they could only sell tradtional and big also. I have spent considerable time keeping up with my competition and am familiar with a few of the designers. I do know that the competition is cut-throat in this area. It is hard to get much information so I get most of my info from people who have shopped in other stores.

I guess by introducing what is trendy in other areas of the country is how I am trying to set myself apart from the common traditional designs in my area. I just haven't figured out how to do it in the price range that my area expects. That is why I really appreciate the help here.

I would love to see some designs and pictures from all of you in the $25 to $30 price point in bowl and cube designs. I need help. :bouncy: I totally respect Shannon's critiques as I am confident in her business acumen and outstanding design ability. I just need to see some pics as my brain can't wrap around what will work for that price range.
 
inferno63 said:
Good questions.....

I live in the traditional flower belt. Cube designs are around here but not big sellers for other shops either. I have a freelancer who used to work for a now closed floral shop in my area. She says that under her prior employment they could only sell tradtional and big also. I have spent considerable time keeping up with my competition and am familiar with a few of the designers. I do know that the competition is cut-throat in this area. It is hard to get much information so I get most of my info from people who have shopped in other stores.

I guess by introducing what is trendy in other areas of the country is how I am trying to set myself apart from the common traditional designs in my area. I just haven't figured out how to do it in the price range that my area expects. That is why I really appreciate the help here.

I would love to see some designs and pictures from all of you in the $25 to $30 price point in bowl and cube designs. I need help. :bouncy: I totally respect Shannon's critiques as I am confident in her business acumen and outstanding design ability. I just need to see some pics as my brain can't wrap around what will work for that price range.
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Ricky made some good points...just a thought...if your clientel is more
traditional, you may have a very hard time selling something "new" and
less showy to them.
Why not think of something that is more showy, but different than
what is already offered in your area?

Or, if they are traditional, then they probably are more practical too.
I would sell them on the fact that shorter blooms last much longer
than taller stems. "low and lush last longer" type of thing.
on the cubes, I think it is good to design in clusters or groups of flowers.
skip the fillers. The clustering makes it look more lush.
 
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inferno63 said:
Good questions.....

I live in the traditional flower belt. Cube designs are around here but not big sellers for other shops either. ( This is where you get your neighbors,friends,family to 'mystery shop' the other stores - They don't have to buy anything.......but they can see a lot and tell you a lot? I have a freelancer who used to work for a now closed floral shop in my area. She says that under her prior employment they could only sell tradtional and big also. ( Has your free-lancer said WHY the shop closed ? - Is she planning to open her own shop? - How accurate do you feel is the information she is telling you? ) I have spent considerable time keeping up with my competition and am familiar with a few of the designers. I do know that the competition is cut-throat in this area. It is hard to get much information so I get most of my info from people who have shopped in other stores. ( If they have not, then you join your local Chamber of Commerce, and/or other LOCAL BUSINESS organizations - this can give you a leg up on your competition.........if you have any type of certifications, awards, accolades ( such as DOY, AIFD, CFD, Best of, etc ) - publish and promote them.

I guess by introducing what is trendy in other areas of the country is how I am trying to set myself apart from the common traditional designs in my area. I just haven't figured out how to do it in the price range that my area expects. That is why I really appreciate the help here. Where is it written that traditional needs to be common? - Extending the proportions, adding branches, using different foliages, using techniques like grouping, vegetative designs, using armatures, can help to lift the 'traditional' out of the ordinary.

I would love to see some designs and pictures from all of you in the $25 to $30 price point in bowl and cube designs. I need help. :bouncy: I totally respect Shannon's critiques as I am confident in her business acumen and outstanding design ability. I just need to see some pics as my brain can't wrap around what will work for that price range.
Click to expand...
'

For some additional inspiration and pictures......In the Wire Service thread, there is a section for 'Cool Flower Shop Websites' - look at some of those and see what can be done.
 
inferno63 said:
Good questions.....

I live in the traditional flower belt. Cube designs are around here but not big sellers for other shops either. I have a freelancer who used to work for a now closed floral shop in my area. She says that under her prior employment they could only sell tradtional and big also. I have spent considerable time keeping up with my competition and am familiar with a few of the designers. I do know that the competition is cut-throat in this area. It is hard to get much information so I get most of my info from people who have shopped in other stores.

I guess by introducing what is trendy in other areas of the country is how I am trying to set myself apart from the common traditional designs in my area. I just haven't figured out how to do it in the price range that my area expects. That is why I really appreciate the help here.

I would love to see some designs and pictures from all of you in the $25 to $30 price point in bowl and cube designs. I need help. :bouncy: I totally respect Shannon's critiques as I am confident in her business acumen and outstanding design ability. I just need to see some pics as my brain can't wrap around what will work for that price range.
Click to expand...

Susan- how about sending a couple of cube designs out as traveling kindness bouquets? People don't like change- but if they get used to seeing something different, then the change isn't such an 'unknown' for them.
this is what I did with my low and lush bouquets- I sent a few out and after a while people were more comfortable with the suggestion, and some would ask for it specifically.

Try a fall mum bowl/cube- just fall daisies, a couple carnations and maybe hypericum berries, solidego and fall leaves.

If this is something new to the area how do you know the price point that people will associate with it?(don't just assume- people will surprise you!)

Make something up that you feel is a good presentation and value, price it and stand by it.
send a couple out and have one in your cooler- people will get used to it and they will come around.:)
 
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I never really understood the hype connected with cubes... remember I'm an Ohioan so I guess the "bigger is better" mentality is just in my blood. But then I started really looking at the design ideas in magazines. The really changed my mind.

A couple different issues of Flowers &, December 2008 & Feburary 2009 both had some striking cube designs (I talked to Elinor at Flowers & she is happy to send you copies of those issues.) There is also a magazine out of the UK called "Wedding Flowers" that I picked up at Borders. I don't know about all issues, but the February/March issues had some absolutely unbelieveable cube designs that look very simple (and not expensive.) Although the magazine is geared towards weddings, I would think these designs would work for everyday as well. If you like, I'll rip the pages out of my magazine and mail them down to you.

Also at Valentine's day someone posted on here, I believe it may have been Mark, but I could be wrong, their top selling Valentines piece. It was a cube with a single rose and some grass. So beautiful.

Maybe you could even have a few of the flower magazines, like the one from Borders, sitting around your shop that your customers could flip thru so they see that this is the TREND, not you being chintzy, kind of like hair salons do...
 
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Ya know Inferno, I'll tell you a little story.

So about 6 years ago when I was still in New Mexico, it was Valentines day. This was when the cube designs were coming in vogue.

I had a bunch of roses that had broken to about 9 inches long. I made a simple hand tied bouquet and slapped it in a vase. I really didn't know how to price it, but I figured I paid the same for the broken roses as I did the non broken ones,,,,So I charged the same as the long stemmed.
To my surprise a guy came in the same day and picked it out of the cooler. I was apologising up and down and explaining the cost, and he just grins at me, and says,
"it's fine, we're from San Francisco, it's the style she likes, you're the only shop I've been to in this town who does it."
I totally acted like it was just something I did on a regular basis!! HA! hey he didn't need to know it was just a "well, lets see what happens" HA!
Plus I felt fancy.... Like I was keeping up with chic and trendy San Fransisco. :)

Ya just never know what people will want!
 
I know what you mean, Shannon. I prefer a certain design style as a customer and a florist but I have found that I have to people please so many different tastes. I cringe when I get those "I would like a dozen roses with baby's breath" orders. I would love to get creative and artsy fartsy and be a hippie florist and create magical creations of art that people came from miles away to purchase, but around here they are tough traditional eggs to crack. I am going to buy more cubes this week and copy cat some advice and designs here and fill the cooler and try to sell the "lush European look with short stems that last longer"...maybe after a few customers crack, the dominoes will tumble. We will see.
 
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the upside to those traditional designs - they are simple and quick to do- you could do those in your sleep- which is great for streamlining production and saving $$

be patient with your new designs - it's like fishing, different bait for different fish and some won't bite right away no matter what you do:)
 
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inferno63 said:
...............many different tastes. I cringe when I get those "I would like a dozen roses with baby's breath".............
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And here is the crux of the matter. I hope this does not come across as harsh as it is not meant that way. We designers are artists......but we are also businesspeople.

We have to find ways to balance the art with the business. We also limit our customers because we think 'that's what they want' - There is nothing that says that a dozen roses with baby's breath MUST be in a 9 inch green glass rose vase with 1/2 bunch of leatherleaf, 12 roses, 1/2 bunch of baby's breath, and a number 9 satin bow except US and our perceptions of what the customer wants.

Bloomz doesn't post a lot anymore, but he is still lurking, and he has a quote from Wilton Hardy......."Don't design to please other florists" - However, In order to keep ourselves as artists and creative people loving what we do........we need to design to please ourselves ...... TO A CERTAIN EXTENT.

One of my design programs that I do when I am on stage at a florist's convention is "12 ways for 12 roses " - I showcase 12 different designs using a dozen roses....and at least 5 of them use baby's breath and none of them are old-fashioned.

To start being the 'artsy-fartsy' florist - start with what you do everyday. Next time you get a dozen rose order, do it differently than you have ever done before. Instead of leather for instance.......use salal and eucalyptus.....extend the height with curly willow......instead of the normal satin bow, use a sheer organza......and so on.

Begin to do this with your everyday orders.......start out easy with just minor touches......you will want to gradually get your customers accustomed to seeing the different touches......Yes, it will not happen overnight, but eventually, you WILL become the 'artsy' florist you wish you could be.........artsy, creative, and special in the eyes of the most important people in your business......YOUR CUSTOMERS.

 
Ricky, I do roses differently almost every time because my stock product is limited. I use what I have on hand. Most of my stock flowers and greens revolves around existing orders. So if I need flowers for a wedding, or as in this week, wedding and school events, I order what I need for those and then use what is left as cooler designs and same day orders. I would love to see baby's breath used in new ways. We should make that a design thread of it's own. What a challenge! "Breath new live into baby's breath".....what do you think?
 
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