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Top Shops: Service By Design
Kentville’s The Designer Flower Shop |
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Written by Amanda Ryder
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Located in Kentville, N.S., The Designer Flower Shop is a shop that
just won’t stop growing – and we aren’t just talking about the flowers
and plants. The shop is a division of The Designer Kentville, a
business that’s expanded over the last few years to offer fresh
florals, accessorized plants, interior design services and delicious
lunches.
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| The Designer Flower Shop offers customers fresh florals, accessorized plants, interior design services and delicious organic food. |
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Located in Kentville, N.S., The Designer Flower Shop is a shop that just won’t stop growing – and we aren’t just talking about the flowers and plants. The shop is a division of The Designer Kentville, a business that’s expanded over the last few years to offer fresh florals, accessorized plants, interior design services and delicious lunches.
Betty Ann Balcom is the owner of the company and oversees each division. The floral side of the business, The Designer Flower Shop, was formerly known as Pulsifer’s Flower Shop. Balcom came on board with the shop (which was only a flower shop back then) 15 years ago when the florist fell into receivership under the previous owners. At the time, Balcom already had her own blossoming business, The Indoor Gardener, an interior plantscape company, and she agreed to take over the shop for a period of three months to keep the doors open while the florist went through receivership. Balcom says that during this time she found out she had a real shot at fixing the shop and decided to take on the challenge. She also viewed the shop as an opportunity to grow The Indoor Gardener and give it a proper retail space.
Now in 2010, The Designer Flower Shop works in combination with three other divisions that Balcom has developed over the years – the Interior Plantscape division, the Interior Design division (Balcom herself is an accredited interior designer) and The Organic Café, the most recent addition. Each section operates under The Designer Kentville banner in a 1,500-square-foot retail space (with equal storage space) and the various areas complement each other and attract a broad mix of customers.
Looking specifically at the floral side of the business, The Designer Flower Shop specializes in home décor items and everlasting florals as well as fresh flowers. It is the only flower shop in town so they have to be flexible in terms of the designs it offers. “We do modern, we do exotic and we will do traditional. We try to have product that supports that in our store – we’ll use kangaroo paws to carnations, birds of paradise and orchids to gerbera daisies. We like to use a lot of add-ons – that helps identify the personality to the design too. We are big on accessories and personalizing,” says Balcom. The florist’s signature designs feature stones and gems in the bottom of the vases with a corsage adorning each container. This attention to detail doesn’t just apply to the flowers. “All of our plants are dressed. We never sell naked plants. They are really dressed up in a ceramic container with an add-on for a gift, ready to go out the door. Nothing is displayed in a grower pot and the flowering plants are all dressed, ready to go. This is so that we’ve sold the add-on, we’ve sold the ceramic pot and we’ve sold the plant, all in one purchase,” says Balcom. The theory behind this approach is that customers are coming to the shop for a gift and their time is limited. By positioning the product this way, The Designer Flower Shop is offering shoppers its expert opinion and saying the staff has done all the work – here’s the perfect pot and the perfect extra “little something.”
In The Designer Flower Shop’s home décor section, Balcom strives to offer a consistent and quality approach. “We don’t use plastic – everything is in nice glassware, ceramic, pottery or has a copper, fresh nickel or a matte black finish.” The products on offer include toss cushions, furniture, plant stands, candles and wall art. Whenever possible, these items are displayed together to show shoppers how the products can be put to use in the home. The home décor line is available to clients both on a retail basis and through Balcom’s interior design consultations.
In a store that offers so much in terms of service and products to customers, a roster of knowledgeable employees is essential. Balcom has 12 staff members and each member is trained to take care of a certain aspect or aspects of the business. She has very little staff turnover, so many of her employees have been with Balcom for a number of years and are comfortable working in any of the divisions. For more recent hires, the owner works with the employees to find their particular niches and supports efforts to pursue additional education in this area. “Everybody goes through training. I am definitely into self-improvement with my staff,” says Balcom. Each one of her employees is given a title to describe and reflect his or her expertise. Among the shop’s employees are a certified interior designer, a certified feng Shui consultant, a Red Seal Chef and two certified wedding planners.
Each morning, the shop will host a mini staff meeting that Balcom has termed “a huddle.We try to figure out what everybody’s needs are, what’s changed since yesterday and how we can help each other. Then everybody knows what everybody’s doing and how we can be supportive for the day, the week or even the month.”
The store’s marketing efforts play into each other to promote each section of the business. “It’s a great marriage because every division is an ambassador for each other,” says Balcom. The shop places marketing material on every delivery they do and the messages will centre around whatever the week’s floral promotion is (i.e., weddings, prom, everyday flowers, etc.). The flyer will also have the weekly lunch features on offer at the café. “We are cross marketing continuously,” says Balcom.
“In the café, there’s a big opening between the flower shop and the café where traffic flow goes back and forth to the flower shop, so both areas support each other.” Balcom says they also send out a flyer on a weekly basis to local businesses with café features and any plant or floral promotions. She says this is information that locals have come to depend on – they are always eager to see what’s on the menu and what’s new at the shop.
Customers can also go online to check out the shop and café specials, as the florist has a strong Internet presence. Balcom recently revamped the website to reflect the new divisions and to deliver shoppers a clean and polished online experience. “It was a great way to tie all the divisions together,” she says.
The shop’s continual growth and push to offer quality, customized flowers, food and home décor options has resonated with consumers. The Designer Flower Shop was voted “Best Florist” in Kings County both in 2009 and 2010. The key to this success, Balcom says, is a culture of caring. “We go out of our way to be accommodating, to have empathy for everyone and their needs. I’ve worked hard with my staff and I think it’s also the lack of turnover with employees – the longevity – so staff have the ability to establish relationships with customers,” she says. “Customers know that they are going to get treated with a lot of consideration and gratitude when they come in or call.”
As far as her future plans go, Balcom says the focus will be on continuing to offer this intimate customer service. “We’ve been building pretty dramatically for the last few years,” the owner says with a laugh. Before she looks at adding anything else, Balcom wants to make sure the customer’s shopping experience is top notch. “Now is the time when we really need to focus on quality control and continuing to have the newest and the latest for our clients.”
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