Florist-tested ideas for driving growth and profits was the theme a presentation at the Florida State Florists Association’s annual convention given by SAF CEO Kate Penn, shown with FSFA Executive Director Bob Tucker, AIFD, CFD, FSFA.
Focus on customer service. Optimize your online presence. Don’t underestimate what customers will spend. Redefine the retail experience. Re-engineer deliveries. And in these turbulent times, focus on the good.
Those are the ideas that florists have shared with the Society of American Florists for keeping healthy profit margins while navigating record inflation, slowing flower sales, staffing challenges and more.
SAF CEO Kate Penn relayed that advice to attendees of the Florida State Florists Association’s annual convention last week, where she also reinforced the power of flowers to relieve stress and improve emotional well-being.
“We all need to keep pushing forward,” Penn said during her talk. “And the wind beneath our sails — aside from our own sheer determination — is the science-backed research about the power of our industry’s product.”
Five-Star Customer Service
To sell that product during a time when consumers are pulling back in response to inflation, florists should pump up their customer service, Penn said. An IPSOS study found that 81 percent of consumers are forgiving of small businesses that raise prices if the business offered excellent customer service.
One retailer Penn spoke with is trying that approach. “We stopped saying, ‘no,’ to customers,” the retailer told Penn. For instance, the shop got rid of their delivery cut-off and is using a third-party contractor for late deliveries.
Customer Experience
The COVID-19 pandemic sent consumers online for all types of purchases, including flowers, and they aren’t turning back, making it imperative that websites “do a bang-up job of engaging the buyer,” Penn said. For many shops the website has become the newest employee. Websites saved time by collecting orders and offered other features, such as LiveChat.”
It’s important to think like a customer, especially when it comes to a business’s online presence. Can customers find your business easily online? Do they see your floral designs on social media? Does your website enable them to order online with ease?
And with customers back in stores, business owners should also be thinking about redefining the retail experience. Consumers don’t just want to shop; they want an experience. Some florists have accommodated that with a potting station or a stem bar. Others are offering workshops.
Penn urged attendees to ask: “Who’s my customer? Why do they buy? What’s going to drive them here?”
Pricing Preferences
While inflation may be influencing consumers and what they spend, many florists have encountered little to no resistance to higher prices during the last year, Penn said. One florist observed that customers always chose the most expensive option, so the shop increased its pricing on all products by about 30 percent.
“Florists have discovered through trial and error that they should not underestimate how much the consumer will spend,” Penn said.
To that point, she shared the strategies of several wedding and event florists who are charging for everything — including pinning boutonnieres, setting prices high enough to cover unforeseen price increases, and changing payment deadlines to give clients more flexibility.
Benefits of Flowers
Research shows time and time again that flowers and plants are proven to help relieve stress and improve mental well-being. SAF commissioned third-party research on the benefits of flowers from Harvard University, Rutgers, and Texas A&M, among others. Penn encouraged attendees to use SAF’s local marketing resources to tout the benefits of flowers to customers.
“We know, we have proof, that flowers make people happier, more creative, and more productive,” Penn said. “There are undeniable health benefits of flowers.”
Looking for more help maintaining a healthy profit margin? Check out SAF’s new series of courses, “Forecasting Your Future,” available now in Career Connection.
Amanda Jedlinsky is the managing editor of SAF NOW.
