Karin Crawford of God’s Garden Treasures Florist in Tempe, Arizona, will offer virtual designs this Mother’s Day.
Even if you’ve closed your shop, you can still capitalize on one of the biggest floral holidays of the year, by promoting virtual arrangements — pretty placeholders that hint of real blossoms to come once normalcy returns.
Although Karin Crawford of God’s Garden Treasures Florist in Tempe, Arizona has been providing contact-free delivery throughout the duration of the COVID-19 crisis, she knows her current setup would make Mother’s Day a logistical nightmare.
“There are just two of us in the shop, and I have two people making deliveries, as needed,” she said. “That’s not nearly enough support to handle the typical volume we get for the holiday.”
Still, she didn’t want to simply give up all those sales. During a recent Zoom meeting with her BNI chapter, members discussed the importance of lining up business down the pipeline. That prompted her to consider virtual designs, something she saw fellow Society of American Florists member Nic Faitos offer at his New York City shop, Starbright Floral. This, she figured, would generate revenue for the holiday (without any additional labor costs) and also help her forecast her future floral needs, a point that delighted her wholesaler when they discussed the idea.
She’s promoting the concept with the hashtag #MothersDayisAnyDay. Crawford created a special Mother’s Day page on her website, where customers can select a future arrangement valued from $50 to $200; customers are prompted to select the “impact” they wish to make (“a little mother love,” “flattering,” “pampering,” “luxurious” and “luxurious +”) and have the option to upgrade the order with add-ons such as wine, chocolate truffles or a greeting card.
On May 10, moms will receive an email or a card with a photo of an arrangement and a short message letting them know they are loved and that flowers will come at a later date. “In essence, they get to celebrate twice this year,” she said.
Katie Hendrick Vincent is the senior contributing writer and editor for the Society of American Florists
