Online Floral Retail: Quality is Key
Online Floral Retail: some flower pros love it and some consider it a Necessary Evil. Whatever your attitude may be, know that online retail success is available to you. They key is to give it every bit of the care and attention you give to your brick-and-mortar store – with QUALITY at the top of your list. That’s the topic of the latest Floralife® piece for Super Floral, “Quality: The Key to Successful Online Floral Retail.”
“Disruptors” are the heroes of the online realm. Modern-day Edisons (just ask them!) who challenge the way things have always been done. Via the magic of the Internet, they can get you whatever you want faster and cheaper with no Middleman.
But we’re talking about fresh cut flowers here. And the Old Way, what we call the Flower Chain, works for the most part.
Today, you have choices in vendors and delivery methods; new players that have come along to challenge the Flower Chain, in terms of selection and price. Quality, however, is also a major consumer concern. And frankly, delivering quality is something that the Flower Chain has learned to do pretty well.
The point is, challenge is good. A rising tide of fair competition lifts all boats, and so on. Just make sure that:
Any new system that aims to compete against it should expect to meet – or beat – the standards the Flower Chain has set in some key areas.
Online Floral Retail success includes:
- Maintaining the Cold Chain
- Preventing Botrytis and Ethylene damage
- Proper Hydration and Nutrition during and after the journey
- Consumer Care & Handling Education
- Ensuring the online fulfillment guys deliver what they promise
- Finding an Industry Partner who is invested in your success
We wrap it up thusly:
You may be a floral retailer wading cautiously into an e-commerce program. You may be a floral retailer wondering why your existing e-commerce program is underperforming. In either case, our advice is the same: please mind the flower care and handling protocols and make sure that your fulfillment team also minds them. A fresh, vibrant, long-lasting product is your best insurance policy against customer complaints.
MUCH more detail in the original article, so check it out!
(Picture credits: FreeDigitalPhotos/ blackzheep / photouta / Stuart Miles )