Fourth-generation florist Laura Daluga, AIFD, of Department of Floristry in Ann Arbor, Michigan, shared tips and ideas last month during SAF’s 1-Day Profit Blast in Philadelphia.
Sustainability. Ease. On-trend color combinations.
These were just a few of the topics tackled last month during the Society of American Florists’ 1-Day Profit Blast in Philadelphia. During an info-packed session, fourth-generation florist Laura Daluga, AIFD, of Department of Floristry in Ann Arbor, Michigan, shared tips on how to attract customers — especially those in the millennial set — with new design concepts and marketing angles. Among her tips:
Promote Your Eco-Awareness. Customers want to hear what you are doing to protect the environment, Daluga said, while noting that many industry staples (plastics, foams) now have eco-friendly options. She also encouraged florists to “use and capitalize on local flowers” when possible — and promote that sourcing to your customers.
Make Life Easy. No surprise here but busy customers (particularly those millennials) want their flower care to be simple. Make life easy for them and your shop with products like no-cut food, which nourishes flowers even if they haven’t received a fresh cut. “The more work we do for the customer, the less work they have to do,” said Daluga, and that’s a good thing.
Say Hello to Metals. Metallics are hot right now and the trend shows no sign of going anywhere soon, said Daluga. In her shop, she’s had great success creating designs in signature Moscow Mule cups. “Every time the customer uses that cup, they’ll think of the person who sent the flowers to them,” she said. (Plus, you can promote the eco-friendly fact that the container is reusable.) Pantone’s Color of the Year, Greenery, is also popular with Daluga’s customers right now. The beauty of that shade is its flexibility. You can market ‘Greenery’ in many ways, because, in some ways, it’s more of a feeling than an exact shade to consumers, she said. “’Greenery’ is the most vague color ever, and I love it,” she explained.
Look for more advice and info from Daluga’s program in upcoming issues of SAF’s Sales WakeUp! newsletter. Plus, watch a 45-second clip of the program, during which Daluga explains why she sees the “air between flowers” as the key to your design room profits.
