The 2019 Florist Mother’s Day Survey Results Are In!

A big thank you to everyone who participated in our annual Mother’s Day survey. Once again we received a strong response from our readers and members.

Results were based on the 347 retail surveyed by Floranext between May 15th through February 22nd.

Were 2019 Mother’s Day Sales Better Than Last Year?

• Lower – 18.1%
• Same – 20.5%
• Higher – 61.4%

Were Mother’s Day In-Store Retail sales greater than last year?

• Yes – 59%
• No – 41%

Aside From Red Roses, What Was Your Top-Selling Products This Mother’s Day?

• Arranged Flowers – 79.5%
• Hand-Tied Bouquets – 11.7%
• Other Roses – 7%
• Other – 1.8%

What Was The Most Popular Gift Item This Mother’s Day?

• Candy/Chocolates – 41.8%
• Stuffed Animals – 2.4%
• Balloons – 14.7%
• Other – 41.2%

What Did you Charge For  Dozen Long Stem Roses Arranged

• $75.00 (average total from participants)

How Many Extra Temporary Drivers Did You Hire This Mother’s Day?

• 0 – 18%
• 1 – 22.1%
• 2 – 20.3%
• 3 – 18.6%
• 4 or more – 20.9%

How Many Extra Temporary Shop Staff Did You Hire This Mother’s Day?

• 0 – 30.8%
• 1 – 26.7%
• 2 – 18%
• 3 – 15.7%
• 4 or more – 8.7%

Did You Use/Rent Delivery Vehicles / Trucks This Mother’s Day?

• 0 – 69.2%
• 1 – 14%
• 2 – 9.9%
• 3 – 1.1%
• 4 or more – 5.8%

When Did Your Floral Business Start Receiving Mother’s Day Orders?

• First Half Of April – 3%
• Second Half Of April – 3%
• First Week Of May – 59.3%
• Mother’s Day Week – 34.8%

What, If Anything, Would You Do Differently Next Mother’s Day?

List of a few randomly selected comments:

• “Order More Flowers.”
• “Get Flowers In Earlier.”
• “Bigger Online Presence, Online Advertising.”
• “More Prepping of Vases.”
• “Make up more flower arrangements ahead of time.”
•  “Promote earlier and use Social Media More!.”
• “Limit The Options.”
• “Order more plants as another option.”
• “Pray for nicer weather.”

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Florists, was this Mother’s Day successful and resulted in more sales? What would you consider to implement that next year? Do you have any feedback on your 2019 Mother’s Day sales season? Your fellow florists would love to hear about it—please feel free to share in the comment section below.

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Floranext makes great florist software. Florist websites, floral POS, florist wedding/event proposal software, and florist technology. Let us know if you want a free demo or try our software for free here.

Hello florists, we are asking all our members and readers for feedback on the success of their Mother’s Day holiday relative to last year.

Your participation in this survey is invaluable—gauging the success of the Mother’s Day holiday is so meaningful for the overall success of the floral industry.

Click here to begin!

Did you know May is National Pet Month in the United States?

May is officially here! A month of Spring Flowers, Mother’s Day and a month to cherish our four-legged furry friends!

As florists, you may have been asked the question time and time again, what flowers or plants are safe around animals?

Every pet owner knows their furry friend will chew on anything it can get into, and at some point it will gravitate towards plants and flowers. As beautiful as plants and flowers are, some can be particularly dangerous to our furry companions. Pets are members of the family, so the last thing we want is for them to get sick from flowers or plants that are toxic to them.

Of course, as florists, you don’t want customers who have pets to stay entirely away from all flower arrangements and plants, but it is good to be aware of what plants and flowers are toxic.

We hope this Florist Guide to Pet-Friendly Flowers and Plants are useful for your floral business and your customers!

Image via Shutterstock

Top Toxic Flowers and Plants

Aloe Vera
Amaryllis
Azalea
Baby’s Breath (toxic to dogs, safe for cats)
Begonia
Birds of Paradise
Carnation
Chrysanthemum
Daffodils
Dieffenbachia
Eucalyptus
Iris
Ivy
Mother in Law’s Tongue/Snake Plant
Narcissus
Oleander
Poinsettia
Tulips
Wisteria

Image via Shutterstock

Top Pet-Friendly Flowers and Plants

Aster
Alstroemeria
Daisies
Fern Varieties
*Lilies (safe for dogs, toxic to cats)
Marigolds
Orchids
Pansies
Petunia
Roses
Snapdragons
Sunflowers
Spider Plant this
Violets
Zinnia

Image via Shutterstock

Signs and Symptoms of Flower and Plant Toxicity

If you suspect that a pet has ingested a toxic plant or flowers, please contact your vet right away. Here are some signs:

• Lethargy
• Weakness
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Drooling
• Nausea

For a full and complete listing of toxic and non-toxic plants, we recommend the ASPCA website for more information.

When customers are ordering flowers or a plant for a pet-friendly household, just take a few extra minutes to check the list! This will help strengthen the relationship between you and the customer and provides confidence to keep them coming back.

Florists, do you get asked a lot what is pet-friendly? What do you offer your customers when asked this question? Please share your thoughts and comments below!

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Floranext offers great florist software, florist POS, florist websites and florist wedding proposal software. Our florist technology products are built by florists, for florists. Let us know if you want a free demo or try our software for free here.

The unique and beautiful traditions of May Day have sadly become lost and wilted over time—is it time to bring them back?

Spring is finally here! This time of year is often associated with floral holidays like Easter and Mother’s Day, but years ago, the season used to start in earnest with May Day.

When Did May Day Start?

The earliest known history of May celebrations began with the Floralia, the festival of Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers. This festival was typically held on April 27th. The Floralia opened with theatrical performances, including a ritual called the Florifertum that was performed on either the 27th or May 3rd, where a bundle of wheat was carried into a shrine for the devotion of Flora.

In the 18th century many Catholics observed May Day with various devotions to the Virgin Mary. In works of art, school skits and other performances, Mary’s head would be depicted adorned with flowers.

Today, the most commonly-known May Day traditions are the maypole, crowning the Queen of May, and the giving of May baskets. dancing around a painted maypole decorated with flowers. People dance around the maypole holding long ribbons attached to the top of the pole. Crowning the Queen of May, and the tradition of anonymously leaving neighbors, family, and friends May baskets of flowers and sweets on their doorsteps.

Image via Shutterstock

What is a May basket?

In the 19th and 20th century, children and young adults would start the spring off by gathering flowers and arranging them in a paper cone along with candies and small trinkets. These were then hung on the door of a friend’s or neighbor’s home to welcome them into spring.

As time progressed, baskets were then used along with paper cones in the May Day tradition, and a new meaning was formed. The holiday started to become a second Valentine’s Day, it was a way of letting a romantic prospect know your feelings.

So what happened to this joyous holiday—was it a spread of “stay off my lawn” mentality? Nowadays, only certain parts of the US, Canada, and European countries still observe May Day.

Image via Shutterstock

Can May Day Be Brought Back?

Why not?? As florists we handle and arrange beautiful flowers each day, why not bring back the May Day series of traditions to put a smile back on someones face.

It’s all about informing the customer and piquing their interest. Write a blog or post on social media, offer discounts or specials on May Day.

As a business owner, there is a potential in obtaining a new and younger generation of customers by offering May Day baskets or cones. One way is to offer May Day baskets or cones to your customers, explain the tradition and see if they would like to purchase to distribute the basket or cone themselves or for you to deliver to a local nursing home or hospital.

Everything is potential and why not start with a holiday that was created for flowers!

Florists, do you try and keep the May Day tradition alive at your shop, and would you be interested in bringing it back? Please share your thoughts and comments below!

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Floranext offers great florist software, florist POS, florist websites and florist wedding proposal software. Our florist technology products are built by florists, for florists. Let us know if you want a free demo or try our software for free here.

Mother’s Day is just around the corner! Is your business ready for this busy floral holiday?

Having a plan in place to make the most revenue during Mother’s Day is critical to earning the rewards of this bustling, blossoming occasion. Read on for an agenda to help you plan and organize your shop for the upcoming Mother’s Day holiday.

1. Promote Your Floral Business!

Begin by using your floral website and social media profiles to start marketing your floral arrangements and your business. It’s not too late!

Images & Products

• • Post high-quality photos of your work or any specials you are offering during Mother’s Day on your website or social media platforms.
  • Don’t forget to link your social media posts to your website! You want to make it as easy as possible for customers to make a purchase—this also means that advertising your social media heavily on your website can actually lead customers away from making a purchase.
  • Mother’s Day products should be prominently displayed and easily accessible throughout your website.

Hours & Policies

• Clearly post your shop’s business hours on your website and social media.
• Having clear policies on delivery, returns, and substitutions will alleviate any headaches for you and your customers and help head off negative customer experiences.

Promotions & Discounts

• Increase traffic to your store by offering deals or discounts on pickups rather than deliveries.
• List special promotions. This is a great way to encourage customers to shop early, before Mother’s Day week.
• Don’t forget to update your product pricing to cover your costs!

Note: “Promoting” does not always have to mean offering discounts. Remind customers why they should order flowers through your business.

2. Staffing, Scheduling and Duties, Oh My!

Making sure you have enough coverage can be overwhelming during the holiday rush. Not to worry, take a deep breath and follow these tips!

Hiring

• If hiring extra help, have them come in on a day before Mother’s Day week to go over their responsibilities and training.
• If hiring extra drivers, discuss with them whether you require them to use their own vehicle.
• If you can, keep a standby driver at the shop to handle new orders for delivery.

Employees

• Have an employee meeting and discuss what is expected of them during Mother’s Day.
• Make sure to explain how important everyone shows up and does what is expected of them.
• Encourage and praise your employees and floral designers. Its always better to be positive than negative.

Scheduling & Duties

• Have your Mother’s Day week scheduled out two weeks in advance. That way there are no surprises to your staff and you have time to make adjustments and improvise as needed.
• Go over job descriptions with employees—it’s always useful to remind everyone what their responsibilities are.
• Assign sections for the delivery drivers in specific areas. Add finished flower arrangements to this area with the date of delivery that is bold and clear.

3. Don’t Forget your Flowers & Supplies

Making sure you have enough flowers and supplies to get through the holiday is important.

Supplies

• Start looking around for supplies, containers, baskets and vases weeks before Mother’s Day.
• Visit your local supplier. However, don’t forget to visit discount home stores and dollar stores. You can find some great unique items.
• Don’t settle! Shop around for the best deals on supplies and florals.

Flowers

• Start ordering your Mother’s Day flowers early to get the best value.
• Don’t forget to shop around if you buy from multiple wholesalers.
• If you are comfortable, get your flowers through a floral auction. A great opportunity to get some discounts when purchasing in large quantities.
• Make sure to order flowering plants, orchids, and dish gardens. These are big sellers and require very little work.

Note: If you are new to the floral industry, Mother’s Day spans for a week, not a day. So order enough flowers!

4. Start Prepping & Showcasing your Flowers!

Stay ahead of the game with these prepping and showcasing tips during the busy holiday rush.

Prepping

• Prep your flowers when they arrive.
• Teach your front of store staff how to wire flowers to help cut down the time.
• Cut ribbon and make bows ahead of time.
• Green any vases, baskets or containers.
• No wastefulness! With the abundant supplies and flowers in the shop, it is easy to get sidetracked and be super wasteful. Everything thrown on the floor that can be used should be. Wasting or throwing out even a good pin or wire is considered money out of your pocket. Please be sure to express this to your employees.

Showcasing

• Gather up all your add-ons and gift items and display them prominently in the store.
• Make sure you re-stock your impulse buys on your front counter to sell in addition to flower arrangements.
• Make sure your flower shop and displays are clean and have an inviting atmosphere.
• Remember: If employees have time to lean, they have time to clean! Breaks are important but it doesn’t take much energy to tidy up.

Work Ahead

• Work a day ahead. Fill any orders for next day the day before. Working a day or two ahead will allow you flexibility just in case there are any last minute orders.
• Place premade orders in a cooler tagged with date of pickup or delivery.
• Mark any time-sensitive orders and bring those to the front of your cooler.

Note: It helps to have a system that works best for you. However, working on orders per day can feel overwhelming, so staying ahead of the game is always best.

5. Take Care of Yourself

It is important to take care of yourself during this busy Mother’s Day week.

• Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Avoid open-toed shoes, as this can be an insurance liability in some areas.
• Make sure you eat! Breakfast, Lunch, and dinner are important—don’t skip meals!
• Get enough sleep. No one is at their best with lack of sleep.
• Take mandatory breaks.
• Do not sweat the small stuff. Regardless of how hard you try, there may be a complaint here or there. Do not let this get you down. It’s the nature of the business. The world can’t survive without florists!
• Try to enjoy Mother’s Day week by keeping a journal of all the funny things that happen or mishaps that take place to reflect on for next year.

Tip: Bring in extra shoes and store them in your cooler to remedy those aching feet. 

We would like to wish all florists a very successful Mother’s Day!

Florists, do you have any great Mother’s Days tips to share with our readers? Please post any of your Mother’s Day tips or feedback below.

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Floranext offers great florist software, florist POS, florist websites and florist wedding proposal software. Our florist technology products are built by florists, for florists. Let us know if you want a free demo or try our software for free here.

Delivering Flowers Faster. Easier.

Floranext’s New Florist Delivery Manager is the new solution to let your floral delivery blossom! 

Try Floranext’s New Delivery Manager Today!

Route With Map – Speed up Florist Route Creation

 Easily re-route delivery stops by choosing which stops should come first before any others.

Click here to learn more >>

Delivery Driver App – For Faster Floral Deliveries

Your flower shop’s delivery drivers can use a smartphone to use the benefits of the delivery routing features like live status updates, turn by turn directions, and more. 

Click here to learn more >>

Instant-Address Search – Faster Floral Order Taking

Enter in the business/home address and the field will begin to populate with information.

Click here to learn more >>

Try Floranext’s New Delivery Manager Today!

Floranext makes great florist software. Florist websites, floral POS, florist wedding/event proposal software, and florist technology. Let us know if you want a free demo or try our software for free here.

FTD lawyers contacted Floranext on March 26th 2019 asking us to remove our blog post about FTD’s most recent news. 

We offered to FTD as a compromise to instead post a direct quote from their own recent communications. They suggested this would still result in legal action.

We have removed all commentary about FTD’s recent news from our blog.

It saddens us that in America in 2019, the power of lawsuits are such that it can stop truthful dialogue about issues that matter to people. 

We at Floranext are fans of this quote by Senator and Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black – “The Framers of the Constitution knew that free speech is the friend of change and revolution.”

We hope that all florists are getting truthful information about their business. 

– William O’Shea, Co-Founder/Floranext

Upselling isn’t just a sales tactic—it’s a way to improve your customer’s experience.

The objective of customer service is to satisfy the needs and wants of your customers. With that principle as your guide, no sale will feel forced but will make you feel accomplished that you have pleased your customers by providing what they actually need. The key is to successfully identify the needs and wants for each person that purchases through your flower shop.

One of the ways you can deliver a quality sales experience is with upselling. 

What is Upselling?

Upselling is a sales technique aimed at getting a customer to spend more by upgrading their arrangement, or by adding another item to their order.

A good example is when you offer the customer a custom-arranged bouquet rather than one in the cooler or offering a box of chocolates to go with their dozen red roses.  Trying to properly gauge the right service for your customer can open up opportunities to upsell.

Existing customers are easier to upsell to because you may already know their purchasing habits, have a somewhat personable relationship and have a good idea of what they might need. However, new customers can be skeptical, which could mean you’re not upselling right.

How to Upsell To Your Floral Customers

The key is to accurately identify the customer’s needs. Find a product that satisfies that need, and give them a sense of urgency of the offer. Whether it may be a promo price on certain flowers or a limited-time offer, you should try to open such a possibility to the customer as soon as possible.

Avoid pushing too hard, or they might shy away from the offer. Offering too much can also confuse the customer. Try not to make the customer panic, but rather make them feel that the offer is compelling.

When to Upsell Floral Products

Well, it could be at any time! When you feel confident, you can try upselling to regular customers and see how it goes.

During a shop-wide sale, all your products have a higher perceived value because of the price slash. Customers new and old will flock to your flower shop to take advantage of that. This time is a very critical time to upsell! Sales don’t last long, giving that sense of urgency to the customers. All your products will look like perfect grabs, making them more likely to be picked up.

The key here is to offer better-value products to your customers. Upsell products in line with the customer’s purchase that is still part of the sales promotion, presenting just enough choices that they can consider. If done well, the chances for a successful upsell are higher than normal!

You should also incentivize upsells by offering more discounts and freebies, adding more value to the customer’s purchase, at the same time maximizes your profit.

The advantages of upselling during a sale can be numerous, but it all boils to two things: you maximize your profit, and your customer gets home with a satisfactory purchase. With that purchase, they see you as a brand to be trusted, making more likely to come back to you. Other than increasing customer stickiness, upselling is much easier and costs less. A win-win situation!

Sales experiences are not just about how much you earn, but how valuable of experience you can give your customer. When you put your customer first, your profit margin consequently improves, given the advantages of doing such things. However, don’t just stop on upselling, there are so many ways to improve each sales experience. Don’t be afraid to take all the opportunities presented to you!

Florists, what are some upselling tactics you use in your flower shop?

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Floranext makes great florist software. Florist websites, floral POS, florist wedding/event proposal software, and florist technology. Let us know if you want a free demo or try our software for free here.

Flowers can be tasteful to the palate, not just the eyes!

Anyone in the food industry recognizes that the human palate is an ever-changing thing, and we are always more than ready to take a bite out of anything remotely edible. Delicious food is more than just delicious on the tongue, it can be tasty to the eye.

Restaurant-quality food is more than the taste, the way it’s presented is part of the experience. Now, the flower industry has something food fanatics might consider to enhance that experience: edible flowers.

Edible Flower Trend

Ripped from the pages of the Great British Bake Off recipe books—which once featured a botanicals week—and Michelin five-star chefs, edible flowers have gained a lot of traction because they still do what they do best even when paired with food: looking pretty and dainty.

Social media platforms, especially Instagram and Pinterest, have also bolstered the trend, spreading awareness to all food fanatics all over the world. Who can resist such beauty and delicacy served right in front of you?

Edible Flowers Not Just For Looks

Edible flowers are about more than just the looks, they actually add a subtle taste to the food, much like herbs. Each flower has its own taste too, and the variety of flavors rivals that of herbs. This characteristic also complements the current trend of people preferring subtler flavors. What makes this deal even better is that edible flowers go well with food and drink both.

These floral edibles are also healthy, organic, and sophisticated. Plus, just like any other plant or flower, you can also grow them right in your backyard or purchased as stems from a florist.

Types of Edible Flowers

For a quick start on the world of edible flowers, we’ll be listing five notable ones and their flavors, as well as other characteristics you might find interesting. Remember, it’s important to check whether chemical preservatives or pesticides have been used on your flowers before using them in cooking.

1. Chamomile: A common tea flavor, you can eat this flower raw, or dry it to brew tea
2. Japanese honeysuckle: The only edible part is the flower, not its toxic berries, and it has a sweet nectar-like flavor
3. Marigold (calendula): Its peppery flavor goes well with almost anything, and it looks beautiful when garnished on salads
4. Nasturtium: One of the more popular edible flowers, nasturtium have a sweet, floral flavor with a peppery finish, and its bright blooms would stand out well as garnishes
5. Violets: Another garnish favorite, their sweet taste goes well with salads, desserts, and even drinks
   

For more of a complete listing of edible flowers, Click here!

Explore Your Floral Palate

At the end of the day, we need food for energy and to get the nutrients we need. However, that doesn’t mean we should just settle for the bare minimum—try out combinations of all things edible. Edible flowers add more variety to your choices and more. Beauty and delicacy come together to satisfy more than just your stomach and eyes, but the entirety of the experience.

Explore your palate and see where it takes you. You never know, the better-tasting ones might be lying right there at your garden or at your local florist, waiting to be garnished on your next meal!

Florists, have you tried edible flowers or seen the trend pick up around your area? Share your comments below!

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Floranext makes great florist software. Florist websites, floral POS, florist wedding/event proposal software, and florist technology. Let us know if you want a free demo or try our software for free here.