|
|
 |
Gauge Your Giftware
What non-florals do you carry? |
|
Written by Rebecca Schwarz
|
While the floral shop is undoubtedly a place to buy flowers, more florists are complementing their selection of blooms with giftware options that range from balloons to bath products. We talked with florists across the country to find out which products they are stocking, how they choose the items and whether the demand for giftware has increased – or decreased – in the past year. Here’s what your fellow florists had to say:
In New Westminster, B.C., Svetlana Sapargaliyeva, owner of Queen’s Park Florist, offers her customers tropical green plants, flowering plants including bromeliads and orchids, and vases. She carries minimal giftware and instead prefers to keep the emphasis in her shop on flowers. “I carry what I personally like, what I find beautiful. In the past I carried stuffed animals, balloons, and giftware, but I no longer do. I think there are stores that specialize in those product categories, and I want to be a florist that sells only fresh flowers and plants.”
In the past year, Sapargaliyeva has found an increasing interest in orchid plants and made changes to her inventory to reflect this. “Orchids have become more popular lately; people seem more familiar with them and less intimidated caring for them,” she says.
When asked what non-floral products her shop carries, Mary Yakimovich, owner of Abby Road Flowers & Gifts in Lloydminster, Alta., produces a long list of items. Her inventory consists of dried and permanent botanicals, plants, giftware, candles, jewelry, purses, evening bags, china, teapots, and greeting cards.
For Yakimovich, deciding what to carry is an instinctive decision, based on “just a feeling. We buy pretty well what we like to see in the store. You can’t just make a living off of flowers, you need to have some diversification.”
Customers, she says, love the variety. In particular, her clientele appreciates the jewelry and giftware. “We carry so much, and it runs its course. We have a hard time staying ahead. We florists all go to the same gift shows and other shops have the same thing. We do a variety because other places carry the same things we do. We keep trying new things.”
At Fleurs & Gourmandises in Montreal, gourmet baskets and products, baby baskets, plants and permanent botanicals round out the shop’s floral selection. Managing director Julie Galarneau says they’ve seen an increase in the purchase of baby baskets and a decrease in floral purchases but she suspects that this decline is only temporary. Despite this change, florals are the shop’s most profitable area. “Our customers are ready to pay more for our flowers because of our floral design and our creations,” says Galarneau.
Jessica Hughes of Gray’s Florist in Dundas, Ont., says her shop carries a lot of dried products, banana sticks, palm leaves, along with fresh plants, containers, vases, and fire burners. The dried products are a relatively new addition that they opted to try to give shoppers a variety. “We have a large store, and we needed a space filler and something different.”
Hughes says they consult customers when deciding what products they should stock on the shop shelves. “We base it on what we like and feedback from customers. A lot of customers come in looking for products that are not fresh.”
Dried product, she notes, is not marked up appreciably, but the store stocks the item for customer convenience. Scented Yankee Candles are the shop’s least profitable item. “They’re really nice but they’re more expensive. We really like them, but we don’t make much money off them.”
At Marcy’s Flower Boutique in Grand Prairie, Alta., Shauna Neustaeter says the shop also sells the high-end Yankee candles but her experience differs from that of Hughes as the candles are the shop’s most profitable product. Rounding out the product inventory are chocolates, teddy bears, balloons, gift baskets, silk flowers, vases, containers, bath products, framed artwork such as reproductions, picture frames, and the Seagull Studios collection of inspirational products.
The shop bases decisions to stock such an array of product on customer feedback, sales, and pitches from salespeople. “They tell us this is really hot and people are buying a lot of it,” she says. Marcy’s Flower Boutique’s least profitable category is balloons: “The previous owner, it was huge for her, so we kept the helium tank,” says Neustaeter.
Carol Duffley, owner of Crabapple Cottage Florals & Gifts in Timberlea, N.S., offers her shoppers purses, jewelry, giftware, candles, home décor items. Duffley reports that her sales have been steady in each category over the past year and sales continue to grow with each year. “The purses and jewelry have been very strong for me whereas selling permanent pieces is a little slower,” says Duffley.
When she first opened the shop 10 years ago, giftware was her biggest seller and her most profitable category but now Duffley says fresh florals bring her the best profit margins. If she’s having difficulty moving a gift item in her shop, the florist says she’ll work it into a gift basket.
In Regina, Sask., Wascana Flower Shoppe owner Petra Janssen is enjoying the province’s economic boom and as a result, she’s increased inventory in all categories, in particular high-end items. The flower shop offers customers teddy bears, balloons, gourmet food items such as Belgian chocolates, bath products, artificial arrangements, permanent botanicals, as well as pieces for rent.
“Things are moving better. It’s the boom, I don’t know. I attribute it to things are very good here. The customers love it, they are buying the inventory.”
Janssen relies on family to help her select product. “I am extremely lucky; I have three generations working here. I get the whole gamut of what younger and older will like.”
Winnipeg florist Kim Friesen, of the Urban Flora, has found that her customers just aren’t looking for high-priced items. “With the economy, people are not buying extravagant things, but instead, things that are useful are more popular.”
She’s decreased her stock of giftware over the past year and now chocolates, vases, ornaments, permanent botanicals and jewellery make up the bulk of her non-floral stock. Price is a major factor for Friesen when selecting product, as is “knowing in what price range people in our area spend, and my taste, and customer requests.”
Chocolate and gift baskets remain the least profitable categories for Friesen but it’s something her customers come to the shop for. She’s committed to meeting the need so “customers don’t have to look elsewhere.”
At The Flower House in Niagara Falls, Ont., co-owner Nicki Serravalle says that, in addition to fresh florals, her shop carries dried botanicals, a large assortment of vases and gifts, and other home décor items. Her inventory levels have remained the same over the past year. “It hasn’t increased because of the economy. But we’re lucky it hasn’t decreased.”
However, she has made some changes regarding her stock. “We’ve gone away from renting vases. We now offer competitive prices for our vases, which entices people to buy. People first inquire about renting because they think they’re expensive, but then they find out the price and they buy them.”
Serravalle seeks unique items above all. “We opt for dried botanicals not silk, gifts that are new, a wide range of vases for arrangements. We just continue to order what sells, and customers are happy because they’re walking in and finding new things.”
The florists we spoke with ranged in size, and were located in both urban and rural areas. While the product lines certainly varied, as did the shops’ experience with giftware, one thing remains clear; when it comes to your product selection, you need to listen to your customers, constantly review your shop sales and consider your target market. Only then will you know that you’ve got the right stock for your customer base.
|
|
|
