Types of Flower Shops

The Retail Flower Shop Chapter 21 The Art of Floral Design 2nd Edition Noah Hunter Delmar Publishers Types of Flower Shops • • • • Full Service, Professional Specialty Limited Service Flower Merchandisers Full Service • Florist provides everything customer needs • Complete range of flower products, services, flower-related producst and consulting Specialty Flower Shop • Specialize in one specific aspect of floristry Examples: silk flower dried flower designs wedding flowers Limited Service Flower Shop • • • • • Has a narrow range of services and products Designed for impulse buying Provide little service Pre-fabbed mostly Found in grocery stores and larger hospitals Flower Merchandisers • Sometimes referred to as cash and carry or stem shops • Located in high traffic areas • Specialize in loose cut flowers sold by the stem or bunch • Provides no delivery or design services Flower Merchandisers Locations • Some consider it the most important factor in the success of a flower shop. There are a wide variety of location sites typical for flower shops Free Standing Flower Shop • A shop in a single unit building Free Standing Strip Center Flower Shop • Combines several businesses that adjoin one another and make up a small shopping complex. • Example: new florist here in Fouke Strip-Center Shopping Mall • Hardest location to make a profit • High rent Business Complex • Immediate customer base • Often are full service operation catering to the business needs of the other businesses in the complex • Also combines mass merchandising for convenience of employees in the complex Downtown Location • Usually are older, established businesses with loyal customer base • Often focus on high-style design and motel business • Market to other types of businesses Floral Department • • • • Located in supermarkets Usually mass merchandisers May offer limited services Examples: Alberton’s, Walmart Shop Layout A shop usually has these areas: • Area for displays and sales • Work area for receiving and designing flowers • Office area • Area for processing orders • Loadout area Showroom Layout Work Area Order Area Visual Merchandising • Attracting customers to the shop and creating interest in the flowers and merchandise • Involves: lighting, settings, color • Uses visual communication to say “BUY ME!” Visual Merchandising, cont. An effective visual display will achieve four goals. 1. Attract Attention 2. Create Interest 3. Turn interest into desire 4. Generate sales Methods of Visual Merchandising Vignette – grouping similar types of merchandise together for maximum visual appeal Examples: Halloween/Fall Valentine’s Day Christmas Season Vignette Methods of Visual Merchandising Window Display – intended to attract attention to the shop Window Display Methods of Visual Merchandising In-Store Display Product presentation should lead the customer through the store. Example: Have cooler with live arrangements at the back of the shop. In Store Displays Each flower shop has six distinct roles and responsibilities Owner Manager Sales Design Delivery Accounting Other Considerations Marketing - everything a flower shop does to find customers, serve them, maintain their loyalty, and convince the to buy more often Computer Software accounting payroll inventory Advertising -paid media always directed to selling - may be radio, TV, newspapers, direct mail - new way – web pages Promotion - process of advancing the awareness of the flower shop - Open house -Providing flowers for door prizes