JULY, 2006  
     
Tips, Tricks, & Trends
Make Slow, Summer Business Boom!
By: Danielle Messersmith

Summer months tend to be a slow time for the floral industry. To bring more summer business to your shop, think of creative and fun ways to bring customers into your shop.
  1. Set a fish bowl next to the cash register and have a weekly drawing for fresh flowers. Give away arrangements, giftware or prizes the customer will appreciate.
  2. Put a sign up sheet in your shop for free design classes. Suggest hard goods and floral accessories during the class so your customers will want to invest in their new design skills. This will be a great way to build a rapport with your clients and to get good feedback on your services and products. Offering something for free will benefit your sales and your customers.
  3. Have a sidewalk sale during one weekend. Move containers and giftware outside and offer coupons or discounts for later in the month to get customer coming back.
  4. Mail invitations to your frequent customers and have them bring friends to an open house. Close the shop early and offer hors d’oeuvres, drinks and friendly conversation. This will be a great time for your customers to see the wide variety of designs your shop offers and get to know your customers needs better.
  5. Keep fresh, bright displays in your windows at all times. This will make your store look trendy and welcoming at the same time.
Remember, the slow summer months will soon be filled with customers and orders as the holidays near, so be creative and friendly with ways to bring more business in. Your customers and you will appreciate it.
 
     
  Glass – Sell It!
By: Marla O’Dell

Glass vases come in all shapes, sizes and colors. The beauty they add to floral arrangements is immense. Yet, they are often pulled from the shelf and used for design work without much thought. Why do you as a retail florist choose to use glass? Is glass truly preferred by your customer? Does your customer realize and appreciate the added value they are receiving with the glass vase? Help your shop staff and customers appreciate the value added benefit derived from your choice to use glass vases.
  1. Stems are beautiful – show them off in a glass vase! Make sure that all stems are free and clear of any foliage below the water line and that the water is (and will stay!) clear. The best way to accomplish this is by using a preservative and water clarifier such as Aquaplus ®…the difference is clear.
  2. Make your vases perform double duty. Use them in the cooler as display vases! Syndicate’s #4111, #4149 and tall cylinders all make great cooler vases. They are aesthetically pleasing to they eye AND as you use up the flowers, the vases can be used in arrangements.
  3. Talk it up! When customers pick up arrangements or they are delivered, instruct your staff to make comments such as “Isn’t the vase beautiful? The clarity of the glass and the unique vase make this a container you will want to reuse.” This may just cause your customers to think of you everything they do reuse the vase – and prompt them to order again!
  4. Educate your customers. Glass vases can be used again and again. Give your customers some ideas for reuse:
    1. Candle holders
    2. Botanical containers – fill with potpourri and use as a decorative element in the home.
    3. And the most obvious…floral vases – cut those flowers in the garden and bring the outdoors in! Contrary to popular belief, encouraging your customers to have a floral garden will not discourage them from being a repeat customer. Instead, in the off-season, they will continue to want to enjoy fresh floral and will come to you for all of their needs!

Glass vases are beautiful and provide added value to your arrangements. The key to capitalizing on this fact is making sure your customers know and appreciate the thought you’ve put into the choice you’ve made.

     
WHAT’S NEW
Garden Collection Color

Just because the weather is going to be cooling doesn’t mean your arrangements have to. Our Garden Collection Color features four colors: Basil, Amber, Rose Quartz and Amethyst.

Glass vases to include these warm colors are: No. 4018 7” Sweetheart Vase, No, 4027 8” Athena, No. 4110 8” Small Gathering Vase, No. 4048 8” Milk Jug, 4049 9” Jordan and No. 4103 10 5/8” Diva.

Try this...combine two or more Garden Color and pieces to create an aesthetically pleasing and coordinated presentation. Garden Colors also work well alone and add flare to any presentation.

All of the shapes offered in our new colored glass line are exclusively available from Syndicate Sales. You won't find these shapes anywhere else!

All Syndicate Sales product can be viewed online at www.SyndicateSales.com and is available on a drop ship to your store basis. Call your wholesaler to order or for more information.

For more information on this product please contact Syndicate Sales at customerservice@SyndicateSales.com or (800) 428-0515.
     
RETAIL SPOTLIGHT

Susan’s Treasure Chest is the winner of Syndicate’s quarterly drawing. Susan Durham, Owner & Designer, became eligible when she answered one of our monthly online questions. Susan’s shop, located at 44801 Highway 17, Vernon, AL will be the lucky recipient of FREE Syndicate Sales product.

“It’s simple, we care.” Is Susan’s Treasure Chest’s store motto. 12 years ago, Susan Durham was working as a pharmacist and designing floral arrangements on the side. Durham decided she liked working with flowers so much she was going to open a florist shop in her pharmacy. According to Durham, there is also a gift shop in the building.

Helping people and guiding them to the flowers they want is important to Durham. Susan’s Treasure Chest designs lots of floral for weddings. “Weddings are a stressful time,” said Durham, I like to take care of the bride and give her what she wants.”

There are seven floral employees who all share the workload. Lots of customers request a certain floral designer they feel comfortable with to design their arrangements.

When people ask how Durham manages the pharmacy, floral and gift shop, she says, “I love it, and I never get tired of it.”

Susan’s Treasure Chest is a member of SAF, Teleflora, 1-800-Flowers, Alabama State Florist Association and Northwest Alabama Associated Florist.

Syndicate Sales would like to thank Rohrer for writing in her helpful tips and store demographics.
 
     

All the products shown in this newsletter and much, much more can be found in the Syndicate Sales online catalog. Click here to browse.
COPY EDITING Danielle Messersmith PHOTOGRAPHY Tony Frederick, CS Kern