“I’ve always thought that I did not
want any one area of my business to be the bulk of my sales and that has really saved me this time,” said Vinicombe, who estimated that, before the pan- demic, daily work made up about 45 percent of floral sales, corporate work 15 percent, weddings and events 10 percent, sympathy 5 percent, and 25 percent to nonfloral goods. “If I was doing mostly weddings or events now — or if all my orders came from hotels and corporate entities — I’d really be hurting.” Instead, the Vinicombes had other
established product lines to promote, including balloon bouquets and food baskets that proved to be high-demand purchases during months of physical distancing among consumers, when customers were looking for safe ways to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and more. “If I only sold flowers, I would have seen a much larger decrease in sales and would have missed out on all those balloon bouquets, food baskets and gift item sales,” said Vinicombe, who credits about 38 percent of her sales during the pandemic to nonfloral goods. “Diversity in products and services helped me survive the recession, and it’s helping me again.” In fact, the shop launched a new,
separate website in May (https://mon- day-morning-flower-and-balloon-co.
myshopify.com), specifically for its nonfloral offerings. “It’s a good way for people to see everything we have avail- able in the shop, without actually coming into the store,” said Vinicombe, adding that they’ve also started to experiment with shipping select items (food, gift items) via FedEx to customers, a service she sees growing. “I believe that will pick up in the future, especially with the new website,” she said. “I think concentrating on online sales is even more necessary than ever and will remain so.” (Read more about some of the shop’s online strategies, including tactics related to social media, on p. 30.) Like the Rockcastles, Vinicombe said
she too is focused on keeping her team small (and filled with people who can multitask) in the future. “I don’t think I will tolerate an unproductive employee ever again,” she said. “Everyone needs to pull their weight. That’s my biggest regret for the month prior to the emer- gency. I had some ‘hangers-on’ that
The magazine of the Society of American Florists (SAF) 27
should have gone sooner. It’s not per- sonal, it’s business. And in order to survive, we need the very best staff that we can afford.” Moving into the fall, Vinicombe
added, she’s feeling hopeful, for her business and the industry, in large part because there are opportunities to be problem-solvers for consumers who are feeling the effects of the pan- demic’s months-long grind. “I think a well-run flower shop is well positioned for this period,” she said. “While other businesses had to figure out how to deliver, we do it day in and day out. Our product helps lift people’s moods, we are affordable, and we help people express themselves. That’s what people have needed [in this time], and we have been here to help them.” And remember… keep yourself
on customers’ radar. The Vinicombes decided early in the pandemic to maintain their hours and availability to customers as much as possible — and to continue their investments in marketing. “It was important to me that we be here for people, especially because many other florists were closed or had reduced hours,” she said. “In those early weeks, we saw three times the normal level of new customers.” Those are all important leads for the future, said Vinicombe, but she wouldn’t have them if they hadn’t been open.
THE LESSON: Community matters
THE REINVENTION STRATEGY: Add a personal touch whenever you can
For the team at Waukesha Floral & Greenhouse in Waukesha, Wisconsin, one of the big takeaways of 2020 has been: The personal has never been more important. Going into the year, Jane Loppnow and her husband, Marty, had planned for a strong 12-month period, including sales related to high-profile events such as the Democratic National Convention and the Ryder Cup. The pandemic has forced the cancellation of both and turned sales trends on their head at the longtime floral business. “Every category is completely oppo-
site the trends we were experiencing up to the COVID crisis,” Jane Loppnow said. “Cash sales are down. Credit card sales are up. Outgoing wire orders are down, but incoming wire orders are up. Store walk-in traffic is down, but deliveries are up. Curbside pickup is up — because we never offered it until this year. Business is definitely unpredictable.”
"I don't think I will tolerate an unproductive employee ever again. Everyone needs to pull their weight."
—Georgianne Vinicombe, Monday Morning Flower & Balloon Co.
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