Stores Start Christmas Countdown

Anticipation of softer holiday sales is prompting large retailers like Costco to display holiday decorations and toys extra early this year, some even before fall began. Hallmark stores, Wal-Mart and Macy's have also started their holiday displays.

"We don't want to be stuck with things the week before Christmas," Richard Galanti, the chain's chief financial officer, recently told USA Today.

A National Retail Federation survey says last year's 6.1 percent spending growth is not likely to be matched this year. Retail Forward Inc. and Bigresearch LLC are cautioning merchants to expect softer sales partly due to fluctuating gas prices, a slowed housing market, rising interest rates and credit card debt.

What's more, getting a jumpstart feeds right into some consumer's buying habits. More than 21 percent of shoppers, who spent $435 billion last year, do some Christmas shopping before the end of September, according to NRF.

-- Mary Ann Barton
mbarton@safnow.org

 
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1-800-Flowers Teams Up With Designer Preston Bailey

1-800-Flowers.com is going after the upscale luxury niche -- mostly consumers who live in key metropolitan areas with incomes over $100,000 -- by teaming up with floral and event designer Preston Bailey (known for designing creations for swanky celebrity soirees), to offer upscale bouquets for the fall.

"Preston is an exceptional designer," said Monica Woo, president of 1-800- Flowers.com, "and we are proud to have this opportunity to offer his innovative, over-the-top floral creations and beautiful tableware to our customers."

Woo says the company is adding Bailey now as a way to offer its customers "good, better, best" products. "Our Expert Designer Collection," she says, "includes the very best products we offer, designed from the best floral artists in the industry." The collection also includes designers Jane Carroll, Nico De Swert, Julie Mulligan and Jane Packer.

Some of Bailey's fall arrangements will include "Autumn Stroll," retailing for $125, featuring yellow mini callas, craspedia, equinacia, bottom, fern sprouts hand-tied with raffia. "Harvest Spice," featuring 'Amazone' and 'Lipstick' roses, accented with sprays of yellow freesia, hypericum and craspedia, goes for $100.

Bailey has a new book coming out in November called "Inspirations," a sourcebook of ideas for creating the perfect ambiance for any major party or event.

-- Mary Ann Barton
mbarton@safnow.org

 
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Alaska: Peony Capital?

Peonies could be the first major international agricultural export for the state of Alaska, according to a five-year study by researchers at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks, reported the Sun Star, the school's newspaper.

Alaska has peonies blooming when no one else does -- during the summer. (The pink species 'Sarah Bernhardt' seems to be the best species to grow in Alaska, research showed.)

Researchers visited flower markets in San Francisco and Los Angeles with samples and sold them all. "Everything worked," said Janice Hanscom, a lab technician for the UAF Georgeson Botanical Garden involved in the study. The research was conducted to provide information for local growers interested in cultivating peonies as cut flowers to sell. There are about 10 farmers in various locations around the state who are putting in peonies in varying numbers and varying timetables, Hanscom says.

"This is still very experimental for us," she says. "The next step in our research is to figure out the marketing end of it. We are sure it will involve air transportation but we already have planes flying fish around the world from Alaska so that may not be as big an issue for our state as we think."

It's now up to local growers to decide how to use the information from the study.

Hanscom's willing to bet on it. She plans on retiring to operate a peony farm. She planted her first 2,500 plants last summer and plans to harvest them in three to four years.

-- Mary Ann Barton
mbarton@safnow.org

 
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Consumers Flock to Shopper-Ranked Products

More than 70 percent of adults use consumer product ratings and reviews in their purchasing decisions, according to a survey earlier this year by Forrester Research. For a quick review of everything from books to barbershops, consumers can check out consumer reviews at various review Web sites, including www.epinion.com, www.amazon.com, www.bazaarvoice.com, or www.yelp.com, to name a few.

Petco tried out a new service that lets consumers rate products. After 30 days, they'd received comments about 1,000 products and then featured the highest-ranked products in marketing e-mails. "It's pretty clear that people are trusting the words of other consumers more than (TV commercials)...on the airwaves," said Peter Kim, an analyst with Forrester Research.

Petco uses Bazaarvoice based in Austin, Texas, which solicits, screens and analyzes reviews on the retailer's behalf, then feeds the data back to the retailer so they can modify their sales tactics. The company charges a minimum of $24,000 a year for the service. Its chief competition is a company called PowerReviews out of Millbrae, Calif., which does not charge for its service but uses reviews to power its own Web site, www.powerreviews.com, which is set to debut in October.

-- Mary Ann Barton
mbarton@safnow.org

 
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SAF Naples 2006 Kicks Off

SAF's 121st Annual Convention begins tomorrow, with sessions on digital photography, human resources trivia and cashing in on color. Look for industry awards coverage, educational session highlights and Outstanding Varieties winners on SAF's member Web site later this week and in upcoming issues of E-Brief and SAF's Floral Management magazine.

Attending SAF's convention for the first time? Tell us about your experience: ebrief@safnow.org.

-- Julia Sydnor
 jsydnor@safnow.org

 
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This week on SAFnow.org: Two for Tuesdays?

Florists are debating the pros and cons of giveaway gimmicks and cash-and-carry specials as a way to increase walk-in traffic in SAF's online discussion forum. One florist questions whether a $2 flower giveaway is worth the effort (think: Domino's Pizza's "Two for Tuesdays" gimmick, a heavily buy-one, get-one-free deal). Read what florists are saying about some of the ideas.

Other issues being discussed and debated this week: How do you charge for the set up and tear down of event sites? Should you invest in a frequent buyer program?

Or, feel free to start your own discussion at www.safnow.org.

-- Julia Sydnor
jsydnor@safnow.org

 
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Newspaper Prints SAF Letter Urging Guys to Buy Floral Gifts

After reading "You Don't Bring Me Flowers... Been a Bonehead? Don't Say It with a Bouquet" in the Sept. 13 Seattle Weekly, Peter Plumely, with Blossoms Network Floral Services in Ontario, immediately brought the article to SAF's attention.

As the industry's watchdog against harmful publicity, SAF quickly responded to the article. The Seattle Weekly published SAF's letter in its Sept. 20 issue.

Alert SAF to harmful floral publicity by faxing articles and ads to 703-836-8705 or e-mail jstromann@safnow.org.

-- Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org

 
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Perusing the Reviews

Fifty-four percent of florists responding to the Sept. 13 E-Poll say they haven't read any online consumer-written reviews about their business. About 46 percent say they have.

-- Julia Sydnor
jsydnor@safnow.org

 
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Product Spotlight: The Hip Giver's Guide

Consumers are most loyal to businesses that make the effort to educate them. This trendy, customizable month-by-month guide to floral gift-giving is the consumer resource for flowers and plants that are in style. It includes holiday tips and advice, floral research and more. Give them to your top customers.

• Sold in packs of five.
• SAF member price (per pack): $4.95
• Non-member price (per pack): $9.95

To order, contact SAF Member Services at (800) 336-4743; memberinfo@safnow.org.

An online version is available: www.aboutflowers.com/hipguide.htm

-- Vanessa Machir
vmachir@safnow.org

 
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A Thanksgiving Primer

For florists who've had fall-themed gifts in their shops for weeks, it shouldn't be surprising that some retailers already are gearing up for Thanksgiving -- especially those who see it as an increasingly important holiday. According to an SAF online survey of retail florists, 27 percent of respondents say Thanksgiving 2005 sales were higher than Thanksgiving 2004.

Source: SAF online survey of retail florists, 2005. Based on 270 responses. Response rate of 14 percent.

-- Ira Silvergleit
isilvergleit@safnow.org

 
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