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Inside The Bouqs Co.’s plan to take on the largest online florists - DigitalCommerce360

Bouqs generates roughly a quarter of its annual sales in the final two months of the year, which makes those gains significant, says Phil Irvine, the retailer’s director of customer relationship management.A revamped marketing program that seeks to distinguish Bouqs from the competition by leveraging what the retailer knows about a particular consumer was key to its strong sales growth, he says. To start, the retailer last January worked with digital marketing vendor Movable Ink to launch an email campaign in which it asked shoppers to choose the most appealing floral collection from four images featured in the message. The campaign enabled the retailer to see in real time how shoppers felt about its collections and, at the same time, the emails helped generate data that Bouqs could use to retarget shoppers.“Once we know which type of arrangement a shopper might like, we can retarget her with special offers in line with the arrangement she voted for,” Irvine says. The campaign has proven successful at driving shoppers to engage with the brand; roughly 20% of consumers who open one of the campaign’s emails click within the poll or make a purchase after seeing the email. In total, the emails that contain a poll have generated a 5% lift in their average conversion rate compared with the retailer’s other marketing emails. advertisement Personalized marketing has been crucial to the retailer’s success, he says, noting that Bouqs is in the early stages of producing personalized landing pages that greet shoppers with a note, such as, “Thanks Adam for being an amazing customer for 4 years!” That type of simple note, which Bouqs began testing in October, generated a 75% increase in conversion rate compared to a page without. It then rolled out that type of campaign to four different sections of the site in December.Working with Movable Ink, the retailer also has resolved a long-standing issue: promoting items that are no longer in stock. Last Mother’s Day, the retailer linked its marketing m... https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/2019/01/10/inside-the-bouqs-co-s-plan-to-leverage-engagement-marketing-to-take-on-the-largest-online-florists/

New online flower service helps florists in Inland Empire, nation - San Bernardino Sun

Sharoka, a former investment banker, got the idea after he listened to the difficulties experienced by his aunt, Shirin Kazemi, who works as a florist in Irvine. Kazemi said wire services had charged her about 20 to 30 percent of sales, in addition to monthly service charge of $600.“Her business was struggling,” Sharoka said. “No one was walking into the flower shop. She has no connection with the customers and pumps out and fulfill the orders sent from wire services. She felt like an employee of the services. As a consumer, I’m frustrated with the services and my aunt is frustrated with service. I’m paying fees. The florist is paying a lot of fees to be a part of these services and a lot of money is wasted and nobody’s happy.”So Sharoka and his partners began the Santa Monica-based BloomNation in 2011. There are now 3,000 florists who use the service nationwide. Florists get free use of the website and no fees, other than a 10 percent cut of sales to BloomNation, said Sharoka.“I think it’s going to help a lot as far as low cost and giving the customer a better product,” said Kazemi. “Also we don’t have to wait for the money. With the other wire services, we have to wait one month to get our money back. With BloomNation, the money is in our bank account the next day.”BloomNation has received funding from Spark Capital, Chicago Ventures, and CrunchFund. It’s among winning companies named by the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business’s New Venture Challenge. Information: bloomnation.com... https://www.sbsun.com/2014/05/03/new-online-flower-service-helps-florists-in-inland-empire-nation/

How to Keep Flowers Fresh: 10 Hacks to Double How Long Your Buds Last - Realtor.com News

Related Articles Get them in water ASAPOne of the most important steps to long-lasting flower arrangements is fresh water, says Lynne Tischler, floral designer and owner of Your Enchanted Florist, in St. Paul, MN.You should always start with a clean vase, and have it ready and filled with water to place your stems in immediately. Delaying putting them in water can actually allow air pockets to form in the stem, which will cause droopy flower heads.Learn the best way to cut flower stemsWhether you’re making your own bouquet or bought one from a store, always recut stems at a 45-degree angle—with a clean, sharp knife or garden clippers only.“Regular scissors will crush the stems, reducing the water intake,” says Tischler.Flowers should be cut at an angle for more exposed surface area, which helps increase the amount of water they can take in.Photo by Dreamy Whites Freshen upFlowers drink more water than you realize. You should add fresh water to the vase daily, says Jessie Thompson, also a floral designer at Your Enchanted Florist.If you notice the water becoming cloudy, recut the stems and change the water.Trim extra foliageExtra leaves floating in the water will increase bacterial growth, which leads to a shorter life span of your flowers, says Tischler.Remove any excess foliage that falls below the water line in the vase.Photo by Celia Bedilia Protect from the (indoor) elementsAs much as bright sunlight helps plants grow outdoors, cut flowers aren’t as much of a fan. Keep them away from direct light indoors as much as possible to avoid their wilting (or opening up too quickly), says Thompson, and also be wary of exposing them to drafts—like a heat vent or a cold door in the winter, or an air-conditioning vent in the ... https://www.realtor.com/advice/home-improvement/how-to-keep-flowers-fresh-flower-hacks/

Gazebos, gladiolus and green thumbs: 2019 Front Range garden tours begin in June - The Daily Camera

Tickets are $15 and available from Symphony Guild members, as well as in Longmont at the Flower Bin, Front Range Flea Market, Longmont Florist and Duran Hobby Acres; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 7-8; longmontsymphony.org/garden-tour.The 15th annual Loveland Garden Tour showcases nine private gardens in northwest Loveland. The tour features garden art by regional artists and a silent auction of up-cycled items suitable for outdoor spaces. Proceeds from the event benefit Loveland Youth Gardeners, a local nonprofit organization providing educational programs for youth 5 to 21 years old and fresh produce for low-income community residents; 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 15; $20; lovelandyouthgardeners.org or 970-669-7182.The 37th Annual Terrace and Garden Tour is the major fundraiser of the year and is sponsored by the Junior League of Fort Collins. Tour the gardens, then stay for the block party  with live music and food trucks.The garden tour supports programs such as the Junior League Career Closet, Lincoln Center Children’s Imagination Series, Done-In-A-Day Projects and Kids in the Kitchen; 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. June 22; $20 (VIP treatment with food and beverage sampling during the tour is $35); jlfortcollins.org/fund-development/junior-league-garden-tour/. https://www.dailycamera.com/2019/05/21/front-range-garden-tours/

Phipps' winter flower show, light garden is holiday tradition - TribLIVE

Christmas Beauty Princess,” “Christmas Feelings Marble” and “Golden Glo.” The latter with its unusual golden bracts brightens the window boxes in the Victoria Room along with plantings of “Florist Blue” bigleaf hydrangea, “Fantasia Purple” florist cyclamen and hybrid “Princettia Max White” poinsettia.The holiday show incorporates 19 different cultivated varieties of poinsettias totaling more than 1,825 plants showcased throughout the conservatory.Traditional “Bravo Bright Red” poinsettias accented by lime green foliage and decorations bring a contemporary feel to the stately Broderie Room. One of the highlights of this display is a massive 5-foot topiary wreath — much too big for anyone’s front door — planted with red and white kalanchoe and dwarf variegated sweet flag.“Red Glitter,” an interesting variety of poinsettia with its white speckled accents, can be found in the East Room, where topiary woodland creatures are enjoying a feast of nature’s treats such as cinnamon sticks, pine cones and nuts.The Serpentine Room features a “Winter Wonderland” with its forest scene of reindeer topiaries made of preserved reindeer moss and antlers crafted from dried palm fruit branches. A vintage sleigh is carrying a bagful of letters for Santa, headed for the North Pole post office, which is depicted in a stunning vignette that includes lush plantings of “Florist Blue” hydrangea and “Halios Curly White” cyclamen.Glowing garden The outdoor Winter Light Garden will be glowing with 62,000 square feet of gardens and lights to explore. New this year are two additions: a Rainbow Glow Tree, a tree-shaped display greater than 8 feet tall with more than 150 colorful glowing limbs, and Bud Flowers, 20 flower-shaped elements situated under the garden’s fern leaf beech tree that resemble a carpet of flowers ready to bloom.Visitors can view the lights using special Holiday Hologram Glasses available for purchase that add a new dimension to Phipps’ LED displays. Children’s tickets for nonpeak days (Mondays-Wednesdays except Dec. 30-31) include a free pair of glasses.Railroad on the farm And what would the holiday show be without Phipps’ Garden Railroad? This year’s theme is “Farms, Food and Family,” incorporating animated displays of farm animals, tractors and trains that explore different types of farms, including windmills, urban gardens and rural fields.A variety of holiday events and programs throughout the show, including Santa visits and live music performances, make the winter flower show the most popular exhibit of the year.Candy Williams is a Tribune-Review contributing writer.Holiday Magic! Winter Flower Show and Light GardenWhen: Nov. 29-Jan... https://triblive.com/local/pittsburgh-allegheny/phipps-winter-flower-show-light-garden-is-holiday-tradition/

Watch them blossom: At N Street Village, homeless women create floral art - Washington Post

Kaifa Anderson-Hall, who leads the class.Sixty-two bundles of flowers — lilies, roses, tulips, dahlia, marigolds, alstroemeria, ranunculus — have been donated by Urban Stems, a florist just up the street.Anderson-Hall puts the song “Something Inside So Strong” on her iPhone then says, “Come up, get your flowers. Take the opportunity to be as present as possible.”The women move around the table, selecting blossoms. Someone asks how many flowers they should use.“It’s up to you,” Anderson-Hall says.Anderson-Hall is the founder of Plants and Blooms ReImagined, a nonprofit that provides horticultural therapy using repurposed arrangements left over after events such as wedding and luncheons. She started volunteering at N Street Village in April.It can seem like an indulgence — homeless women arranging flowers? — but it’s in keeping with one of N Street Village’s core principles: Just because a person is at a low point in her life, it doesn’t mean she shouldn’t be treated with dignity and respect.“Wherever we are, there needs to be beauty,” Anderson-Hall says. Hotels and restaurants have fresh flowers. Why shouldn’t you see fresh flowers in the place where women can come for a free meal, a shower, a washing machine?“You’re going to be surprised where you started and where you end up,” Anderson-Hall says.She’s talking about the cumulative process of creating a flower arrangement: adding flower after flower until something tells you you’re done. But it seems like a metaphor for N Street Village, how it lets women move at their own pace until, hopefully, they have left the streets behind.The class is just one of many offered at the charity, a list that includes sewing, yoga, arts and crafts. Clients carry with them a sheet of paper that’s signed each time they complete an activity. By doing five activities and a chore each week, they are allowed to use Bethany Women’s Day Center on the weekend.It’s a gentle way of encouraging buy-in from the ladies.[Food for the body and food for the soul at N Stree... https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/watch-them-blossom-at-n-street-village-homeless-women-create-floral-art/2019/11/12/ffed9314-04a2-11ea-ac12-3325d49eacaa_story.html

Paul Burrell says wife cried over gay wedding revelation - Stock Daily Dish

The 58-year-old revealed he and Maria broke down into tears during Paul‘s agonising revelation, and that Maria warned how he faced losing their two sons.Mr Burrell, 58, now a florist living in Cheshire, will wed his lawyer partner Graham Cooper, 58, next month and they have reportedly been together for up to a decade.The father-of-two divorced his Maria, 63, last year and the wedding was the first public acknowledgement that he is gay – despite a source close to Mr Burrell claiming the only person her ever told about his sexuality was Diana.Burrell told how he feels ‘selfish‘ about the decision as he had ‘hurt the most important people‘ in his life.He told the newspaper: ‘Myself and Maria have been to hell and back. Our marriage lasted 32 years, and I still want to be there for her. We cried, when I told Maria I was marrying Graham.‘And she said, “Does that mean we’ll never be together as a family again?” I said, “No, it doesn’t mean that.” She said, “You could lose your sons. You’ll lose them because they won’t understand,” but she was wrong.‘The couple‘s adult sons Alexander, 27, and Nicholas, 24, are expected to fly over from the US to attend the wedding ceremony in the Lake District.Burrell revealed how his two sons inquired if their mother would be invited to the wedding, to which he admitted to being concerned about.He said it ‘broke his heart‘ to talk about his sexuality with sons, and was worr... https://stockdailydish.com/paul-burrell-says-wife-cried-over-gay-wedding-revelation/

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