Change is in the air. A group of independent florists south of the border are rallying together this month to discuss industry issues in hopes of creating positive change in the floral sector.
At the beginning of the summer season, some 30 floral retailers began exchanging ideas and opinions on industry issues via e-mail. They voiced their frustrations regarding the decline of florist-to-florist orders, concerns about profitability and fees related to wire services, and a loss of market share to non-traditional florists. As a result, four U.S. flower shop heads took the initiative to form Florists For Change. The group started a Facebook page and set up a website and is now planning its first meeting in Las Vegas on Aug. 17 to gather like-minded florists, get the conversation rolling and determine the next steps for industry change.
Mike Fiannaca is the vice-president of Sparks Florist in Nevada and one of the group’s founding members. He says that through discussion, members have determined there are three major issues affecting the florists of today. The first is the loss of market share from bricks-and-mortar shops to online order gatherers, drop shippers, sending-only florists and wire services. The second is a lack of advertising – the floral industry needs a “Got Milk?” marketing campaign to encourage consumers to buy more flowers, more frequently. The final major issue, according to the group, is the economic imbalance that occurs with incoming and outgoing commissions. In situations like these, the consumer often receives less value than they paid for and the industry loses out if that unhappy customer chooses not to gift with flowers in
the future.
Fiannaca says Florists for Change believes that florists have four options to address these issues in the next five to 10 years. Retailers can:
- Do nothing.
- Work with wire services to determine if the commission structure of the current model can be improved.
- Work independently to develop a direct florist-to-florist order transmission system.
- Use a combination of the last two options while also addressing the lack of industry-wide advertising to promote floral gift giving and purchases from local florists.
In the short time that Florists For Change has been in place, Fiannaca says the reaction from retailers has been encouraging. “The response has been quite positive in but a few days since this project was announced. The responses tend to fall in one of two categories. Florists that fill more orders than send are very enthusiastic. Top senders are cautiously concerned whether a changed system would impact their profitable outgoing trade,” he says. “This is why representation from florists of all sizes is important for this inaugural meeting.”
Although this meeting is taking place in the United States, these are issues that certainly affect Canadian florists and ones that we also need to discuss as an industry. In a sector that continues to evolve, florists can’t afford to stand by and maintain the status quo. In coming issues, Canadian Florist will keep you updated as to what happens in Las Vegas and let you know how you can join the conversation.
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