They’re cuddly and cute and make a great add-on to a get-well bouquet or a new baby arrangement. Plush products can be a natural fit for a flower shop if the product is properly positioned and marketed to customers. According to our Canadian Florist National 2010 Survey, plush is also a category that’s found in the majority of shops. When we asked florists to specify what’s in their merchandise mix, plush products came in fourth after fresh florals, vases/containers and glassware.
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Soft and squeezable stuffed toys are a great way to get your customers oohing and aahing and a good strategy to increase your average sale.
Photos courtesy of Perfectly Plush (left) and Warm Buddy Company (right).
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So which type of plush should you carry in your shop? There are many options you can choose from: collectible and branded stuffed animals like Settler Bears or Gund plush products; new baby products (think cuddly blue and pink animals to celebrate the new arrival); or plush for occasions like Valentine’s Day or birthdays. Deciding what’s right for your shop depends heavily on your market – do you have a lot of new moms coming into the shop or are you located near a hospital? Are your employees great at upselling to shoppers? If so, plush add-ons could help you increase your average transaction.
Joe Medeiros of Perfectly Plush, a supplier of plush gift collections in Mississauga, Ont. says that knowing your customer and what works in your shop is key. “A florist with a lot of walk-in traffic does quite well with our line as the consumer can feel the product and appreciate the quality of the line,” says Medeiros. “Our seven-inch pieces, whether they be in the baby line or bears are top sellers with florists as the price point is reasonable and can easily be added into an arrangement.”
Perfectly Plush offers a complete line of Christmas and Valentine’s Day pieces specific to the occasions but they also work with their customers to provide plush that can be made to fit any celebration. One example Medeiros gives is the company’s white bears, which can be purchased in a variety of styles, fabrics and sizes to help the retailer sell the product year round.
He encourages retailers to introduce new plush items as they sell through to keep the selection looking fresh and exciting. “Although many of our accounts do have their favourite pieces and re-order them regularly, we find that the accounts that incorporate new pieces as well, have a much quicker sell-through with the product,” says Medeiros.
Plush can also be positioned as a product that comforts and soothes. Warm Buddy, a Canadian-based company, specializes in warm-up plush animals – each one contains a removable heat pack – that can provide warmth and relieve stress. The company has also developed a line of rejuvenating heat therapy products to appeal to those looking for an at-home spa experience.
Warm Buddy’s president Karen Mc-Kee says that in terms of plush trends, consumers are gravitating towards natural and locally made products as well as gifts with a message or purpose. The company provides point-of-sale materials to position Warm Buddies and the related products as “home and spa comfort products.”
Plush is a product that gives florists flexibility and can work to attract customers of all age groups. It’s up to you to find how it can work best for your shop. Becky Lindstedt of the Flower Basket in Calgary gave us a great description of her plush marketing strategy. She posted the following advice on our Canadian Florist Facebook page:
“We carry a limited selection of quality, name brand, child-safe plush bears from one supplier. We promote them as a child’s first teddy, with flowers for mom, when someone is looking for something for a new baby. The natural coloured teddies actually look very sweet in a drawer of an antique mirrored dresser we use for displaying jewelry. When we sell plush and cut flowers, we make sure the plush is protected, from any water source, with a cellophane wrap. When incorporating plush into a floral design, we make sure it is elevated above the wet foam. Oasis now carries a product specifically designed for keeping floral arrangement add-ons (teddies, urns, picture frames, etc.) dry.
“For Valentine’s, we suggest a teddy hugging the bouquet as an add-on sale. We keep the size of our plush display area relative to the revenue we receive from plush sales. We find the more items we have in the store that appeal to the senses, the better. They are all tastefully displayed in limited quantities. Many adults collect teddy bears, so that is the quality of bear we carry. When suggesting a teddy add-on, we make sure to get the teddy into the hands of the potential purchaser, so the soft plush can influence the decision.”
Whether you’re looking to attract more new baby sales, offer a little extra for Valentine’s Day or expand your gift selection, plush is a product segment that can give your customers one more reason to pop into your shop.
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