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April 14, 2008 |
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GROWING YOUR BUSINESS TOGETHER |
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contents
Martha Stewart and 1-800-Flowers Launch Partnership
This exclusive online boutique offers exclusive designs showcasing Martha's favourite flowers
Duty-Free Flowers Measure on the Table
Through a controversial trade act, the U.S. may see flowers from Columbia imported duty-free
Florists Prom Tips Featured on TV
A recent TV segment urged consumers to think ahead when it comes to prom flowers
Easter Sales Down?
A recent survey indicates Easter sales declining, in part to this holiday becoming less important
Get More Traffic to Your Website
Looking for ways to increase traffic and create more outside links to your website?
Hold Up and Florists Death Appear Connected
A deadly robbery and hold up are connected by Toronto Police
Flowers Canada Retail School of Floral Design
Starts May 26th - Save $100 before April 30th
Upcoming Events
August 8 - 9 Floral Paradise
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martha stewart living omnimedia and 1-800-FLOWERS.COM launch partnership
New Online Boutique Offers Fresh Flower and Plant Arrangements Featuring Exclusive Martha Stewart Designs
 Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. (MSLO) and 1-800-FLOWERS.COM(R) announce the launch of Martha Stewart for 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, a co-branded line of fresh, seasonal flower arrangements and plants available now exclusively at www.1800flowers.com/marthastewart. The collaboration brings together MSLO's unique design aesthetic with 1-800-FLOWERS.COM's more than 30 years of floral expertise.
Martha Stewart for 1-800-FLOWERS.COM offers consumers an assortment of beautiful arrangements that showcase Martha's favorite flowers, hand-selected and arranged in containers inspired by her personal vase collections. The exclusive online boutique features an extensive range of floral designs styled by Martha that include a full selection of seasonal blooms. The arrangements are offered in vases, planters and bowls inspired by Martha's large collection of containers, ranging from mid-century modern forms to art deco masterpieces, to furnishings from her homes.
"Flowers are not only magnificent for adding color and beauty to the home, but they also make thoughtful gestures for every occasion. Distinctive designs bring out the beauty of my favorite flowers because each arrangement is created with impeccable attention to color, texture and proportion. The specially crafted containers are designed to be keepsakes and can be used by customers year round. We are very happy to be working with 1-800-FLOWERS.COM making such beautiful floral designs which are accessible and elegant," said Martha Stewart, Founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.
"I am extremely proud of the close collaboration between 1-800-FLOWERS.COM and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia," says Jim McCann, CEO and founder of 1-800-FLOWERS.COM. "Whether decorating for an occasion, remembering a loved one, or simply making any day special, consumers will find beauty beyond the ordinary in every purchase from Martha Stewart for 1-800-FLOWERS.COM. The new boutique is a great addition to the already extensive gift offering that consumers can find at 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, and timed perfectly for Mother's Day shoppers."
The exciting launch of Martha Stewart for 1-800-FLOWERS.COM comes just in time for the spring holidays. For Mother's Day, a spray of deep-pink hydrangeas in a burnished gold vase makes a great gift, and stunning white Phalaenopsis orchids cascading from a polished silver vessel are perfect for spring and summer weddings. Fresh-cut flowers are now available for same-day delivery through a network of BloomNet Professional Florists. Next-day delivery is available direct from the grower. Varied delivery choices and 1-800-FLOWERS.COM's expertise in customer service ensure that consumers receive stunning arrangements when they want them.
"Martha Stewart for 1-800-FLOWERS.COM will make the most of our fresh flowers as they come into bloom," states Monica Woo, President, Consumer Floral Brand at 1-800-FLOWERS.COM. "Our partnership with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia has left no detail to chance, and each arrangement truly reflects the quest for a perfect harmony of color, texture and design."
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duty-free flowers measure on the table
Flowers exported to the United States from Colombia may be given permanent duty-free access if Congress approves a controversial trade pact sent by President Bush on Monday.
Under federal law governing implementation of the U.S./Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA), Congress now has 90 legislative days to vote for or against the measure.
The president's decision to transmit the legislation to Congress has upset many Democrats who believe he has ignored established protocols. Typically a president sends a trade agreement to Congress only after first getting approval from Congressional leaders. This way, support for the measure is much easier to achieve. Some Democrats say the president's decision jeopardizes prospects for passage of the measure.
Anti-trade Democrats already oppose the pact because they believe the Colombian government has not done enough to reduce violence in the country, especially against trade unionists.
President Bush, however, has praised Colombian President Alvaro Uribe's efforts to curtail violence and protect labor activists. In addition, Bush says the FTA will improve U.S. national security and strengthen our economy.
Further dampening prospects for approval, Democrats also insist that ratifying the trade pact or even generating further support for it hinges on expanding the trade adjustment assistance (TAA) program. TAA is designed to help workers who lose their jobs because of foreign competition. Democrats say TAA must be implemented before they even consider the FTA.
President Bush has pledged to work with Democrats on the TAA, but is adamant about Congress ratifying the trade pact. Citing benefits of the measure, the president in a press conference on Monday said, "Waiting any longer to send up the legislation would run the risk of Congress adjourning without the agreement even getting voted on."
Colombian flower exports — about 60 percent of flowers sold in the U.S. — currently enjoy duty-free access to U.S. markets under the Andean Trade Preference and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA). That act is set to expire on Dec. 31, 2008. If it is not renewed, or if Congress does not approve the U.S./Colombia FTA, U.S. floral importers of record will have to pay duties on Colombian flowers entering this country.
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florist's prom tips featured on tv
A recent segment on the Chicago-based ABC-7 morning news show urged consumers to think ahead and order their prom flowers early from florists and offered tips on "picking the perfect blooms."
Amy Wiest, designer for Wildflowers of Palos Heights, Ill., showed off a variety of floral options for prom-goers in the segment, "Prom Flowers Tips And Trends." This is the fourth year that Wiest has appeared on the ABC affiliate promoting prom flowers, and her connection to the station is the result of a little constructive criticism.
A few years back, Wiest says, she was inspired to write local media in response to their Valentine's Day complaints about the cost of roses for the February holiday. In the letter, Wiest defended the floral industry and she suggested that consumers consider other types of flowers besides roses for Valentine's Day. The ABC affiliate responded to her letter and asked for her help with future floral stories, and the relationship has just blossomed from there, into 5-minute floral segments led by Wiest, featuring topics such as wedding flowers, Valentine's Day and much more. The florist says the results from her appearances are "phenomenal" because of the shop's instant name recognition — and, the best part is it's all for free, she adds.
In addition to showcasing her designs, Wiest offered up some advice on what to look for when choosing options for prom flowers:
- "Select colors that will compliment the color of the dress or intensities that are the same as the value of the dress; i.e. a watery shade of turquoise would look great with mixed garden flowers in shades of warm yellow, medium pinks, lavenders and soft blues."
- Stay away from "accents like satin ribbons, glittered and spray painted flowers and lace bouquet collars," she says, adding: "They may have been in style when your parents went to prom, but they aren't anymore."
To get more ideas on creative ways to increase your shop's prom orders, read the article "Five Ways to Capture Teens' Prom Business.” |
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survey says: easter sales down, what gives?
A number of factors appear to have taken their toll on US florists' holiday sales, as more than half the retail florists (55 percent) responding to the 2008 post-Easter online sales survey report sales down compared to a year ago. The economy, competition from mass marketers and quirks in the calendar (early date), plus a general belief that the holiday is becoming less important and less observed are among the factors cited by many respondents to explain their lagging sales figures. Only 22 percent indicated sales increases from 2007 and 21 percent say sales were flat.
How were your Easter Sales? Send Flowers Canada Retail feedback
Source: Zoomerang Survey
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police connect florist's death to thornhill robbery
Police are now linking a deadly North York robbery with a similar holdup at a Thornhill flower shop.
Toronto homicide investigators have met with their counterparts in York Region’s holdup squad to exchange information that may prove helpful in tracking down suspects in the death of florist Felicia Hosany. She was found in her Wilson Heights Blvd. and Sheppard Ave. area shop on Feb. 28.
The incidents, which took place a day apart, are being connected due to their striking similarities, police say.
Both shops were looted and the female clerks bound with duct tape at the back of the store.
At Tulip Florist in Thornhill, the victim was able to free herself after the assailants left the store.
Investigators say they are looking for a digital camera that was reportedly stolen from Tulip Florist the night of the robbery.
More than 24 hours later, Hosany was found in Flowers by Felicia with tape covering her nose and mouth. An autopsy confirmed the 51-year-old had suffocated.
Business owners in the area are trying to come to terms with Hosany’s death.
In a neighbouring plaza, Peter Roubos, owner of Times Square Diner, said Hosany would often come into his restaurant to grab a bite while she worked.
“She was a very nice, quiet, hardworking lady,” he said. “It shouldn’t have happened.”
Hosany’s floral shop once occupied the space next to Times Square, now home to Dog Sense, a dog daycare and grooming salon. Owner Susan Shmuel said she saw Hosany the day of the incident when she came into the store to buy a collar for her pit bull.
“Everybody’s upset,” Shmuel said. “She was a very nice, friendly person.
“I think this is a quiet little area,” she added. “Then something crazy happens. It really shook everybody.”
Hosany’s funeral was held March 5.
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