NOVEMBER 2019
Mercury Messenger
FTD Florist Jim Fabbrini Fabbrini’s Flowers Hoffman Estates, IL
LETTER FROM
Tom
Dear Valued FTD Florists, As 2019 is quickly coming to a close, I want to thank you for your continued partnership. We’ve begun a new chapter in our Company’s history, and we are excited to get back to our roots by focusing on our florists and creating mutually beneficial partnerships. Demand for orders designed and delivered by local florists is continuing to build as our FTD.com florist-filled orders have grown year-over-year. We are also pleased with the increased volume of high value Sympathy orders coming into the network as a result of our marketing partnership with Legacy.com, the global leader in online obituaries. We are also progressing on our plans to invest in new florist technology solutions, including mobile and userfriendly florist websites. Our Mercury Point of Sale is also more accessible than ever with a value price point starting as low as $2,699. Our systems are also compatible with portable hardware allowing you the versatility to manage your business on-the-go. Our Field Business Consultants have been out on the road visiting florists and our Member Services teams have been reaching out to learn more about how FTD can help you grow. Check out the article on page 5 about Welke’s Florist and Gifts in Milwaukee, WI and how the business has thrived as an FTD Member for 100 years!
The FTD® Christmas Cabin™ Bouquet | C6
Hand Deliver Their Holidays Family. Gifts. Hot Cocoa. Stockings. These are just some of the things that inspire the holiday spirit. FTD wants to add seasonal flowers to that list, too. This holiday season, the Christmas marketing campaign will begin on Saturday, November 30 and run through Tuesday, December 31. The campaign will feature actual FTD Florists in design room settings and delivery moments, sharing messages of joy when sending flowers from a local flower shop to celebrate the season. Some of the projected best sellers for the holiday include C2, C3, C5 and C6. These items will be prominently featured in the marketing campaign throughout the season. For ways you can prepare for a successful holiday, download a planning guide at FTDi.com/Christmas.
Additionally, we recently launched a new campaign, Together We Grow, to inspire and educate florists. When we collaborate with you to identify solutions, tools and opportunities for development, we are working towards our mutually beneficial success. Because, Together We Grow. As we enter into the busy holiday season, I wish you much success and fortune as we all continue to promote the benefits of gifting flowers.
Executive Vice President Florist Division
FTD is excited to reach our florist members to inspire and educate about the support and partnership we offer to help you become a great flower shop. Based on key attributes shared with us by successful flower shop owners, we have developed a new campaign called “Together We Grow.” Our tools can serve as a foundation for florists to grow their business and deliver an exceptional customer experience.
Learn more at FTDi.com/grow
A Magical Transformation in Texas Susan Hearne of Lulu’s Flowers in Rockport, TX was the lucky winner of the 8th Annual Makeover Magic Contest. Visual design expert J. Keith White AIFD led the transformation of the shop’s showroom and design space to reflect the coastal vibe of the community, which Lulu’s has served for 14 years. Destroyed by Hurricane Harvey in 2017, Susan relocated and rebuilt her business from scratch. The makeover is just one more way FTD is focused on providing its Member Florists with valuable opportunities that will help small businesses be successful.
Learn more and view the photo gallery at blog.ftdi.com/2019MakeoverMagic.
Field Business Consultant Jackie Harrell, shop owner Susan Hearne and FTD Education Consultant Keith White AIFD
Transformed showroom with a coastal décor theme
New consultation space
Small Business Saturday is November 30 Since 2010, Small Business Saturday® has been a movement in communities across the country, drawing more holiday shoppers to local, small businesses. Once again this year, FTD is a supporter of Small Business Saturday and will encourage customers to shop at a local FTD Florist on Saturday, November 30. To promote your shop’s participation in Small Business Saturday, visit www.shopsmall.com and download customizable marketing materials that can be used both in your shop and on social media.
Tennessee Florist “Intern with Ian”
Wins
Connie Isbill of Isbill Floral Gallery in Cleveland, Tennessee, is the winner of the FTD Intern with Ian contest. She worked side-by-side with event and wedding design guru Ian Prosser AIFD in late October as he brought his vision for two high-profile events to life with his team from Ian Prosser Productions/ Botanica International Design. The goal of the internship is to teach the florist ways to increase wedding and events sales and improve profit margins. additional revenue to your business. Connie's experience working with Ian will be shared later in November at blog.ftdi.com.
Increase Your Access to Brides Together, David’s Bridal and FTD are offering an exclusive partnership to FTD Florists. The Local Vendor Program connects a florist with their local David’s Bridal location to drive traffic and early access to brides helping to grow the shop’s local wedding business. Benefits include bi-weekly lead lists, local event participation, inclusion in a monthly email, in-store engagement, and more! The Local Vendor Program is available in the U.S. and Canada and FTD Florists receive a discount on the monthly rate. Learn more at FTDi.com/davidsbridal.
A. Cossairt Florist in Shelbyville, IN proudly received a 100-year anniversary plaque from FTD for continuous partnership. Shown are fourth-generation owners Jim and Nancy and daughter, and fifth-generation owner, Jessica with Field Business Consultant Tom Spain (far right). B. Nancy Jackson of Divine Designs by Nancy in Sanford, NC was presented with a Top 1000 Partner plaque by FTD Field Business Consultant Brian Graser. C. (Left to right) Amy Pedneau of Cleda's Flower Shop in Jena, LA, Shari McCallister of D & L Florist in Houston, MO and Julie Silvis of Indiana Floral & Flower Boutique in Indiana, PA recently attended FTD Boot Camp at headquarters as the recipients of a $1,000 education scholarship from FTD. D. FTD Education Consultant Ian Prosser AIFD delivered his signature design program, “The Life of the Party,” at the Arkansas Florists Association Convention in September. E. Hallstrom’s Florist associates in Red Wing, MN were presented with a 75-year plaque for continuous partnership with FTD by Field Business Consultant Dina Dandelles (right). F. Eric Anderson (center) of Anderson The Florist in Kenne, NH celebrated his 75-year anniversary as a member of FTD with Field Business Consultant Susan MacLeod and Regional Vice President Jim Weedon. G. Becky and Matt Rathbone of Rathbone’s Flair Flowers in Jenks, OK, graciously accepted their Top 250 Partner plaque in recognition of their partnership with FTD. H. Rainier Fortineaux (right) of Flowers Unlimited & Gifts in Chicago, IL was presented with Top 100 Partner and 25-Year Anniversary plaques by Vice President of National Accounts Ed Cronin.
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Time & Money on Delivery
Have you ever wished you had increased delivery capacity during a peak holiday? Or wanted to save on daily wear and tear of your delivery vehicles? Or what if your delivery driver calls in sick? Introducing FTD Delivery Service, an on-demand pick-up and delivery program that is available seven days a week, 365 days a year. FTD has partnered with two on-demand driving services – DoorDash and Postmates – and integrated the delivery service request within Mercury Cloud to give florists an alternative to deliver any local or wire service order within a five-to-10-mile radius from your shop to delivery location. The standard delivery charge is $13.00 per address or $15.00 if time specific which will be conveniently billed to your FTD Clearinghouse Statement. The delivery partners are also integrated with Mercury Cloud and orders are confirmed real-time once delivered. Mercury POS users may also use the service by logging into an order portal. Learn more at FTDi.com/deliveryservice.
FLORIST SPOTLIGHT
WELKE’S FLORIST & GIFTS Celebrating 100 Years as an FTD Member Florist Since 1901, the Welke family has been “delivering flowers and happiness.” Offering highest-quality floral products has been their pleasure — and business — for five generations. It began at the turn of the last century, when Emil Welke emigrated from Germany to the United States, and met his wife, Emma. Together, they opened a shop and greenhouse. Welke’s Florist & Gifts joined the FTD network in 1919 and is celebrating its 100th anniversary as a continuous member. FTD visited with fifth-generation operator Nikki Lemler to learn more about the shop’s history. Can you tell us more about Welke’s Florist & Gifts? NL: We have two retail locations and 25 employees. Our business is quite diverse as we handle corporate events, sympathy, everyday occasions, etc. A strong commitment to community involvement has been important to our family, and I think it has helped to establish us as one of Milwaukee’s top florists. Local organizations and the community are at the core of our business, and we support as many charitable events as possible. This includes partnerships with the Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation, Susan G. Komen Foundation, Ronald McDonald House Charities and Kiwanis organization, to name a few. Why has your business thrived and what makes you successful? NL: Success is an ongoing process. We continue to improve and keep up-to-date one consumer trends and styles, and make ongoing changes to our product and gift lines. We strive to go above and beyond in every step of the ordering, designing and delivery process, to ensure that our customers are receiving the best experience.
Third-generation owners Bill Lang (left) and Curt Lang (right) with their father Jack Lang (center).
How long have you been associated with Welke’s House of Roses & Flowers? NL: My career began as a child, when I would come into the shop to help my dad on weekends and during the holidays. After college, I returned to the floral industry to carry on our family traditions. I have been in the business for 17 years now, and enjoy continuing its legacy. What are your thoughts on why Welke's became an FTD-affiliated shop?
What does the future look like for Welke’s? NL: We plan to continue growing our business and providing Milwaukee with the best service and quality flowers. We are looking to expand to a larger, centralized location that will allow us to be more efficient and productive. We also plan to continue improving our website, where we are seeing some of our strongest growth.
NL: We have been with FTD since 1919 — 100 years! We believe that the networking and wiring of orders is what brought my greatgreat-grandfather to join FTD. How has Welke's benefited from its 100-year partnership with FTD? NL: The FTD Mercury technology has been very beneficial to our shop, providing an ease to the handling of our outgoing orders. The Windows-based system is easy to use and aids in training employees. Through FTD, we have also established many great relationships with other florists throughout the world. Through those contacts, we have been able to network, share ideas and build our business.
The original E. Welke floral shop building in 1901
C E L E B RAT I NG
100 Years
WITH THE FTD NETWORK 1 9 1 9 - 201 9 Cossiart Florist, LLC Shelbyville, IN DeMuth Florist Inc. Connellsville, PA Washington Florist, Inc. Newark, NJ Weber's Florist & Gifts Ironton, OH Fourth-generation owner David Lang and daughter Nikki Lemler
Fifth generation and current operator Nikki Lemler (right) received 100-year anniversary recognition from FTD representatives
Welke's House of Roses & Flowers Milwaukee, WI
The Most
Helpful Resource You’re Not Using
The FTD Product Recipe Catalog
The Product Recipe Catalog is a unique, all-in-one tool that features all the information you need to successfully price, design and deliver an exceptional arrangement to maximize customer satisfaction. The tool is accessible in two places within FTDi.com — the “Floral Selections Guide” section under “Tools & Resources,” or at the site’s homepage (FTDi.com), in the bottom center box. Once you access the Product Recipe Catalog, you can search for a specific item or click on a collection of products. The product page includes the following details all in one view:
• Full-color product image
• Recipe
• Dimensions of finished product
• Substitution guidance
• Design tips
• Special instructions or other points of interest about the item
• FTD® Marketplace™ Container item number
This page can be printed and used at the design bench and in new employee training. An additional feature within the Product Recipe Catalog is the calculator, which allows you to enter in your cost per stem, as well as delivery and labor costs, to determine your gross contribution and net contribution margin per order for each style. This is a great tool that can help you evaluate your cost of goods and identify which items may be the most profitable for your shop to fill. You can also compare your wholesale costs to the costs FTD is using to build the recipes. For more tips on how to exceed at order fulfillment, visit FTDi.com/quality.
Develop Your Leadersip Skills The FTD Webinar Series are FREE online presentations by industry leaders on valuable topics that can help you increase sales and profits. A comprehensive library of previously recorded sessions is available at www.FTDi.com/FTDUniversity/ WebinarMaterials.htm on topics including finance, marketing, holiday prep, merchandising and more! Watch one now to positively impact your business and offer employees the opportunity to develop new skills. Register for webinars at www.FTDi.com/FTDUniversity.
Together We Grow FTD is focused on the success of our Florist Partners.
Leadership Development
Innovation & Store Operations
Comprehensive Marketing Tools
Unique Designs to Drive Orders
Exceptional Supply & Quality
TO LEARN MORE FTDi.com/grow | 800.788.9000 | floristrelations@ftdi.com
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