FTD is cross-merchandising its projected Top 10 bestsellers this year on orders with delivery dates on February 13, 14 and 15 to streamline operations for florists.
FTD customers shopping for Valentine’s Day flowers — or, for that matter birthday or anniversary designs — on February 13 or 14 will see a more limited range of offerings this year.
For the first time, the company has adjusted its merchandising strategy to funnel consumer demand primarily to its Top 10 projected best-selling products.
The move comes in response to FTD florists’ feedback, according to Tom Moeller, executive vice president, who indicated florists need help managing the “tsunami of orders that comes at Valentine’s Day, many of them on February 13.”
“We learned that most florists dramatically reduce their own product selection to make it easier for the shopper to find what they’re looking for which allows for streamlined planning and capitalizing on late order demand,” he explained, adding that the company adapted its own strategy to better align with what individual florists already do.
The change will affect more than just Valentine’s Day shoppers. The 10 products will be cross-merchandised on FTD.com, meaning that if a consumer is shopping “in the birthday index at the peak of the holiday, only the top 10 Valentine’s Day items will be available for delivery on February 13 , 14 and 15,” Moeller said. “This will help drive orders to this specific collection of products allowing florists to plan efficiently and improve fulfillment.”
Exceptions will be made for sympathy work.
Moeller said he’s hopeful the change will lead to smoother holidays for FTD florists and potentially drive average transactions to $70 or higher. Most of the Top 10 products retail between $59.99 and $100. FTD’s average order value in the first quarter of 2016, a period that includes Valentine’s Day, was just over $72.
