The Internet has changed the face of business. In the United States alone, more than twothirds of the population uses the Web regularly, and online revenues are growing nearly three times faster than traditional sales. The flower business is no exception. Flowers are already one of the most popular online shopping categories, and roughly of florists in the U.S. and Canada have some type of Web site. “Today, an ecommerce Web site is a necessity to do business in the flower industry.” says Barry Pond, President of Jackman’s The Floral Pros in Ontario.
www.kateparkerflowers.com “Online ordering is the fastest growing channel compared to phone or instore options and appeals to a younger demographic; in other words, our future clients.” According to Walter Knoll III of Walter Knoll Florist in greater St. Louis. “Our Web site is the glue that keeps us close to our customers, guides what products are being produced, and disseminates information to our employees.” The move to the Web is one that fits the new generation. Revolutionary sites like eBay and Amazon have changed the way we buy and sell.
With flowers, it’s a big net gain for the consumer. Flower lovers can still visit a local flower shop or order flowers by phone, but the Internet offers convenience and a host of other services. It’s not surprising that a few large floral companies have emerged. What may be surprising to some is that a handful of more established traditional florists have kept pace, carving out a niche with online customers seeking more personalized service and direct local delivery. “The Web was a natural outgrowth of our core business,” says Baxter Phillip of Phillip’s Flower and Gifts, a thirdgeneration florist with ten shops in the Chicago area.
“We began sending floral orders electronically to fellow florists in the late Seventies. Then, we began receiving orders in electronic format from large commercial customers in the ‘ s. We launched our first complete online flower shop in and haven’t looked back since.” Walter Knoll Florist opened its first online store in the mid s. Its Web site at wkf features local specials, wedding flowers, flower care tips, delivery tracking, employment information, and more. “It’s a fullfledged branch store,” explained Knoll, “where customers can find almost anything they need to know about our products and services.”