Thank you for taking part
Read More.

What I really think of relay
Read More.

Sunday Valentines... threat or opportunity
Read More.

Get your business cards in order
Read More.

Don't sell supermarket flowers
Read More.

The monthly, weekly and, depending on what's happening in this mad, mad industry of ours, sometimes daily views of Caroline Marshall - Foster, Managing Editor of Florist & Wholesale Buyer, the only independent trade magazine for the £2.1 billion retail flower industry in the UK.

Never known to hold back, she comments on what's happening, what's got her goat and even what's made her happy... yes it does happen!

Have something of your own to say? Want to vent your feelings? Got an idea you want to share. Then let her know by e-mailing editorsletter@thewordhouse.co.uk
Replies go straight to her computer so anything you say is strictly between you and her... unless you want it made public!

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Thank you for taking part

I may be best known for my rants but this editorial has to start with a HUGE thank you to everyone who took part in our Christmas survey. Because, in just over 72 hours, more than 400 of you responded and gave us some of our best feedback ever. 

A massive response that doesn't just help us at Wordhouse get a handle on what's happening out there on the coal face but allows us to let the whole industry know as well. 

By sharing knowledge, not only can shops around the UK compare themselves and their sales performance but it helps them learn from their peers as well. I wish I could give everyone the £50 Majestic Wine vouchers but maybe, if you’re passing these three shops who did get picked out by the computer, they’ll share a glass!

Sachas, Woodford Green, Essex

Garlands Florist, Oswaldtwistle, Accrington

Natural Fleur, Oldham, Lancs 

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What I really think of relay

Do I hate relay companies? No actually I’ve never hated them, simply occasionally challenged things they have done. Do I think they’re perfect now? No, no company is perfect, not even mine! However I’m not sure some relay companies deserve all the flack I’ve been seeing recently. 

Because I genuinely think, and certainly over the last couple of years, that all have made huge efforts to find a way of making their business models more florist friendly and that the people at the top (remember they are all different now) are much more on the wavelength of the people they serve and want it to work for their florists as much as them.

Don’t get me wrong. I still think there are things that could improve and I certainly don’t think a florist shop HAS to have a relay facility – there are loads of shops out there quite happily operating without and doing very nicely. Equally though I cannot view relays as the devil incarnate either and know that for many shops they play an important role.

Because bottom line is they have far more clout and skill when it comes to generating orders than most individual shops have and while in a perfect world every order would go direct to a florist shop, the reality is that legitimate relays are the accepted and very successful face of flower ordering – important given the amount of dodgy people out there trying to muscle in.

Only you can decide which relay is the right one for your business but with far more choice out there these days if you’re not happy with the one you're with then move on and find the one that does work for you.

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Sunday Valentines... threat or opportunity

Actually, I’m beginning to think that for some florists moaning has become part and parcel of their make-up. Yes it has been hell out there what with weather impacting on deliveries – in and out of the shop - and people are still scared about their jobs. But given Christmas wasn't half bad for an awful lot of shops, let’s get a grip about Valentines.

Because as far as I’m concerned the number of negative comments about a Sunday Valentines is now beginning to wear as thin as relay bashing. Yes traditionally a Sunday Valentines has been poor. Yes Valentines is not the same as Mother's Day. Yes there is the perennial problem of red roses and Yes people are watching the pennies. But does that necessarily mean it’s going to be a complete wash out. Does it really follow that sales will be down 40% or more?  Who the heck knows? Because I don’t think ANYONE can REALLY predict what will happen for a few very simple reasons.

1: It's 10 years since the last Sunday Valentines. In that time retailing and shopping habits in the UK have changed beyond recognition and Sunday is just another trading day. You may not normally open on a Sunday but the vast majority of shops do and consumers expect it. 

2: Who says everyone will be away. A tough economic climate may actually reduce the number of romantic weekends never mind the fact its half term week for a lot of schools so we shouldn't presume everyone will be out or going away.

3: For as long as I can remember Mothers Day has ALWAYS been on a Sunday... and it's never caused a problem. Some may say the customer base is different but given I'm a Mum and a Lover I don't think that necessarily follows. My man will buy me flowers on both occasions irrespective of what day of the week Feb 14th is.

4:  There are a whole slew of flowers in a box companies who will actually find it impossible to deliver on the Sunday. They may try and flog the concept of pre-day delivery but nothing beats that bouquet arriving on the day and florists will be the ones who can do it. Trade on it!

5:  Saturday is a prime time to sell ready to go’s and for many shops that aren’t in city centers it’s actually better for them. Like he did last year my man is happy... and more importantly able… to go into the florist on a Saturday and choose and collect my flowers.

I’m not kidding myself it will be easy. I still think florists should watch order levels and price points carefully but I can’t help feeling that just like we’ve become a nation of wusses when it snows, so some florists seem to be far happy moaning and groaning about how bad things will be rather than trying to find solutions and opportunities.

We’ll do our bit to help, like giving you a whole host of marketing ideas in the Business Resource Centre, but ultimately it’s down to shops to get out there and take market share back. It’s not as easy as moaning but as so many of our survey respondents proved it’s a lot more productive.

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Get your business cards in order

As I start the New Year a plea to everyone to sort out their business cards. Because, having spent a lot of 2009 on the road, for every fantastic card I’ve collected… and there are loads of them… there were still far too many ghastly offerings!

Scruffy, torn, dirty; some with phone numbers scratched out and new ones hand written on back. There was even card that had the number of a local Chinese takeaway of the back!  Excuse me… these business cards are supposed to be representing theoretically professional florists.  If I was a customer or potential corporate client, if I thought you couldn’t get a 3” x 2” bit of card looking good I’d be hardly inspired to try the floristry!. 

And then there are the reasons why they couldn’t give me a card. In fact if I had a pound for everyone that said “I’ve left them at home/in the car/at the shop/in my other handbag" I’d be a wealthy woman. Business cards should be with you morning, night and day, because you never know when you might meet someone – be it a paying customer or a florist who you could do business with.

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Don't sell supermarket flowers

Doing some research for a presentation, while I had the supermarket top ten flowers I didn’t have the florist shop equivalent. So I asked florists on the forum sites to list their top ten selling flowers. Not the most scientific way but good enough to show that, in the main, florists are selling exactly the same type of flowers.

Which initially surprised me – because I was honestly expecting there to be quite marked differences simply because by definition florists shouldn’t be mini-me supermarkets but a step above. Then I thought a bit more and realised that there are practical reasons why the standard product lines of Roses, carnations, chrysanths etc have to appear on everyone’s buying list. Not just because the consumer expects them but because the only way to run a profitable shop is to have all price points available.

But and it’s a big BUT… should the varieties be the same as well. And this is where I think independent florists are missing a trick.  Because while it is important to have the staple flowers, it is equally important to make sure that they are the most unusual/bespoke/individual varieties within a product category. 

Chrysanthemums are a commodity line until you start making sure you stock hi style varieties at which point it becomes a special collection. Carnations are, in theory, a grandma flower until you upgrade your range to include the multitude of feather edged, bi coloured varieties never mind the intriguing genetically modified types. Roses are roses are roses if they are simply 50cm cello wrapped bunches but again unusual or bi colours, scented or just bigger and longer become a designer line… not a by the mile product.

Some florists think that by copying the supermarkets they appeal to the mass market.  The trouble is that you can never compete on price and therefore not only is there no point of difference but you’re more expensive as well. Savvy florists are the ones who hunt out every possible alternative within the product categories to make sure the price points are met but the look is totally different.

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