Teleflora's Stems and Bunches

[Rhonda]

Just received a newgroup email concerning Teleflora's Stems and Bunches program. As I'm not Teleflora, I just skimmed through it but it did state that you would receive flowers 10 days fresher than your local delivery truck but a few sentences down it says something about your Stems and Bunches order coming to you on your regular floral delivery truck?? I'm certain not here in this rural area but are your city wholesalers going to deliver Teleflora's cut flowers for them? I'd cut and paste the email if you wish.

 

[ROBSWF]

Yep!!

That is their plan. My understanding is that Teleflora will guarantee payment to the grower or broker in Miami and pay a per box charge to the wholesaler that will make the delivery to the retailer.

 

[BOSS]

You can read some Importer/Grower discussion on Stems and Bunches here over on Flowers & Cents

I recomend this site to anyone wanting to look in on the "other" side of our industry. Many of these folks are waking to the fact that dealing with the big boxes and supers is perhpas not in their best long term interest.

 

[sunny]

Pity on them , they were the ones who left the real florist high and dry when it looked like the big boxes were going to make them a fortune on the volume, but the bigger the volume the biggest the discount the boxes want and they find out they are working twice as hard for 1/2 the money . Why should you or I worry about them , they went courting the big boys , let them die if they must when the big boys give them a screwing. No sympathy here.

 

[BOSS]

Why should you or I worry about them , they went courting the big boys , let them die if they must when the big boys give them a screwing. No sympathy here.

Hmmm... why indeed. First not all of them did, maybe a handfull did. Second if we expect to have any hope in regaining control of this industry, these are some of the folks were going to need as allies. And third...there will ALWAYS be a need for local wholesalers.

Personally I count on the folks in Miami, Bogota and Flint Michigan to get me what I need when I need it, especially when I tell them on Monday that I need it Tuesday...If we lose the local wholesaler, and Miami Importer, and the Bogota Growers that are part of the bigger picture, you can pretty much kiss this whole industry good bye because direct ship from the farm is not going to work in the Great White North!

 

[Dazeal]

Many of these folks are waking to the fact that dealing with the big boxes and supers is perhpas not in their best long term interest.

Agreed. As soon as it is possible people will be high-tailing it to other countries shipping direct. It'll be interesting to see what flower farms in the USA will look like in 20 years. If anyone knows much about the beef industry in the late 80's, it took a tail dive in the US when we started importing most of it from Brazil/Argentina. Sure there are still beef farms in the US, but not as many. I wonder if flower farms will be the same? The sad thing is, our government did this to the cattle farmers, like our government will do to our Orchid plant farmers with importing from Taiwan. I wonder whose lobbyists have deeper pockets SAF or FedEx, because as SAF buddies up with FTD, FTD is looking to ship direct from South America (butterfieldblooms.com). I REALLY LIKE SAF and feel sorry for the position they are getting in, but capitalism does this to us...a snake eating its own tail, and the head being all that is left is a metaphor that represents the large corps eating us and what will be left at the end.. the head.. the large corps.

you can pretty much kiss this whole industry good bye because direct ship from the farm is not going to work in the Great White North!

I am testing direct from another country and I live in the Northwest, which is further than your home Mark to this farm. This is only a test, I'm not betting any money on this. I'll let you all know how it goes in a month or so.

As for specifics for an event or wedding, yeah, local wholesalers will be a life saver, but with logistics and technology the process will become even better in 5-10 years where live webcams will dictate your choice of specific colors, etc.... shipped direct from Latin America to your doorstep the next day. I mean who thought 15 years ago a customer could order flowers on a computer like we do today?

To those of you who are upset at me for buying flowers from another country, let me ask you where your vases come from? China maybe? You mean a communist country? And why again can't I buy Cuban cigars?

 

[BOSS]

I am testing direct from another country and I live in the Northwest, which is further than your home Mark to this farm. This is only a test, I'm not betting any money on this. I'll let you all know how it goes in a month or so.

Brandon, whats the average temp November to April in your area? Here for 3-4 months straight it'll be 15-20 degrees...often times MINUS 10-15 degrees...I have to discontinue shipments of Orchids from HI simply because the freeze in the belly of the plane. And the Fed/Up trucks are not heated either...otherwise yes, we too could do it direct year around.

And why again can't I buy Cuban cigars?

Maybe soon ? I wish!!! I saw yesterday a live broadcast from Cuba on CNN, first in my memory...yes it was about Wilma, but still, it was showing how the homes and building there will weather the storm just fine, but it's when the sun comes back out after the storm where the problem gets worse (go figure) because it seems their building materials and methods tend to soak up water, and it's when the sun dries them out that they implode/collapse/crack/fall down...very odd...

 

[Dazeal]

Oh I forgot about old mr. winter. Yeah that's a factor that never crossed my mind.

Oh and I don't smoke.. but I am a rebel and if someone says no, I ask why. I think you and I Mark are in the same boat when it comes to this. I think most people here are rebels!

*Plays the song, "Bad to the Bone"*

 

[Richie]

hmmmmmmmmm

what wholesaler in thier right mind would deliver product from teleflora?. I hope none of them would.and if they did ,look out cause you never know what the product might look like after delivery.... How long was that sitting in the sun????????