Foxgloves Flowers
A Trendy Flower Shop Catering to Local and Tourist Clienteles
 Nestled in an eclectic neighbourhood in the heart of downtown Victoria, British Columbia, Foxgloves Flowers has become a flower shop that caters to a very unique customer niche – tourism.
“The tourist industry does play into my business, which I know is odd for a flower shop,” says Colleen O’Farrell, owner of Foxgloves Flowers. “There are lots of hotels and B&Bs in the area who we cater too. I advertise in the tourist brochures, which can be found in every hotel room in the city.” Tourists who come to Victoria to stay with friends and family often grab a business card from Foxgloves, and then send flowers as a way of saying ‘thank you for your hospitality.’
“Otherwise, I don’t do a lot of advertising,” O’Farrell says. “I find that word of mouth is essential in the industry and it goes a long way.”
O’Farrell first got started in the business as a way of putting herself through art school.
“I started at the bottom washing buckets, and eventually worked my way up.” Now, fifteen years later with a degree in fine arts, and another in pottery, O’Farrell has found her niche in the world. Her artistic inclination and her degrees lend well to the design aspect of the business, and O’Farrell describes her style as being trendy with a European garden design influence. Foxgloves Flowers has been a fixture in the neighbourhood for the past three years, catering to a very posh clientele.
“My customers tend to be higher end - up-and-coming younger women and middle aged women who have a disposable income and excellent taste,” says O’Farrell. “There isn’t a carnation or a daisy in the place.”
The shop itself is only 600 sq. ft. – 400 sq. ft. in the back for designing and storage, and 200 sq. ft. for the front of the store.
“I had to expand last year to add extra space. It was originally 200 sq. ft.,” O’Farrell says. “Don’t ask me how I did eight weddings in one weekend last summer!” With limited space, O’Farrell focuses her flower shop on selling flowers and plants, but she does carry some pottery, funky cards, and a nice selection of glassware. Space constraints also limit the number of employees at the shop.
At a Glance:
Company Name: Foxgloves Flowers
Location: Victoria, BC
Owner: Colleen O’Farrell
Web site: www.foxglovesflowers.com
Years in Business: 3-1/2
Number of Employees: 3 part-time |
“I have three part-timers, but for the most part, it’s a one women show,” O’Farrell says.
In the future, O’Farrell would like to expand Foxgloves Flowers’ location again to include a larger showroom, but she has no interest in expanding to a second location.
“I’d like to use my pottery degree, and start making pots and containers to sell at Foxgloves.” Of course the extra space would also come in handy for the hectic schedule of this full-service flower shop. Foxgloves Flowers does a lot of funeral and wedding business.
“I’ve probably done about a hundred weddings this year, and they haven’t ended yet. I still have several this weekend,” O’Farrell says.
 In the meantime, O’Farrell is ecstatic with her recent expansion, and the success of her flower shop. From humble beginnings, Foxgloves Flowers has continued to gain recognition as a trendy florist in an artistic neighbourhood catering towards local and tourist clientele alike. Owning a flower shop may not have been what O’Farrell envisioned as a career when she was attending art school, but it provided her with an opportunity to become a successful businesswoman in an industry that encourages her artistic flair to shine through.
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