Why National Wire Services are Killing Local Flower Shops

Not that anyone is asking this question, but did anyone notice the dwindling number of flower shops as of late? I am sad to relay that our competitor, Wildflowers just closed their doors in December.  Wildflowers was a vibrant and exciting shop in the community, providing many smiles with a variety of gift-giving ideas, daily floral deliveries, and thoughtful expressions to the downtown North Branch community.   There is nothing more exciting than working in a downtown area where the economy can support two flower shops, but unfortunately, that is no longer the case.  Almost half of the flower orders coming into North Branch come through a variety of wire services such as  FTD, Teleflora, BloomNet, Floral Shop Network, 1-800-Flowers, Avas Flowers, and many others.  These conglomerates consistently send orders to be fulfilled by local shops at a fraction of the amount – and most of the time, below our cost.  When you use these services, you are not supporting your local community.  The majority of dollars for these wire services are kept by them.  As an example, what might otherwise be a $100 arrangement – you’re receiving about $80 value – because their costs are tied up in their wire service technology and order takers.  The amount paid to the local floral shop from the wire service for a $100 order is less than $50.  Consider the impact to your community if you did that with other services that you depend on.  They wouldn’t stay in business long with competitors cutting into their revenue to the point where such business is just not profitable.

Please consider using our website or placing your orders over the phone with your favorite local florist.  It doesn’t have to be us, but we are here to serve you and our community.  We appreciate your direct business with us!