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HEADLINES |
CustomInk Apologizes for Negative Portrayal of Flowers
A recent e-mail promotion sent out by CustomInk LLC encouraged recipients to "forget about chocolates & flowers" for Valentine's Day. A member brought the e-mail to SAF's attention and SAF contacted the company's corporate offices on Jan. 31. Within a few hours, SAF had an e-mail response from CustomInk President Marc Katz.
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Floral Expenditures Stay Stagnant for Valentine's Day
Consumers may be shelling out more for Valentine's Day this year than they did in 2007, but florists won't necessarily be the ones to benefit. The National Retail Federation (NRF) predicts the actual amount spent on flowers will remain almost stagnant at around 36 percent of the total Valentine's Day budget
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1-800-Flowers Updates 2008 Revenue Outlook
1-800-Flowers.com, Inc., has adjusted its 2008 revenue outlook thanks to a "challenging consumer economy." Despite lowering its revenue expectations, the company still plans to see the earnings per share grow anywhere from 30 percent to 35 percent from 2007's earnings of 26 cents per share.
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NEWSMAKERS |
CNN Report Features SAF/FPO Home Ecology Study
CNN referenced a sizable chunk of the Home Ecology of Flowers Study in its Feb. 2 report, "Health for Her: Shaking off morning blahs." Reporter Judy Fortin states that having fresh flowers in the home is "a surprisingly easy way to improve not just your morning, but your entire day."
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Florist Uses Home Ecology Study, Promotes Flower Initiative
Joyce Gubata is a woman on a mission. The owner of Leaf and Petal in Massachusetts is determined to make consumers realize that flowers should be a daily part of their life. So she's investing around $3,600 in product and labor to get her point across, by delivering a free single rose to each of the more than 8,000 households in Walpole, Mass.
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LIFE AT WORK |
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BELIEVE IT OR NOT |
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VALENTINE'S DAY NOTEBOOK |
Flowers Are a Guy's Best Friend
Your male customers who may be feeling clueless about how to use flowers to get on a woman's good side now have a new tool at their fingertips. Just in time for Valentine's Day, the Netherlands Flower Bulb Information Center (NFBIC) has created www.savedbythebud.com to help men navigate through the flower-buying process, with flash video demos, information, illustrations and a dose of common sense to men in need of assistance.
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TRENDS AND TIPS |
Eco-Consciousness Continues to Expand
Eco-friendliness continues to move more and more into the mainstream, as indicated by last week's coverage of Sam's Club's fair trade flowers and now, mega-housewares-retailer Crate&Barrel's rollout of its bamboo collection. An e-promotion for the new line touts that its "eco-friendly bamboo is more than a cutting board" and includes decorative and furnishing items for the home and office.
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Answers to Your Burning Tax Questions
As tax time approaches, and the new Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) has employees scrambling to see if they’re eligible for a refund, take advantage of the IRS’s online resources to help you answer your tax-related questions.
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MARK YOUR CALENDAR |
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REGULAR FEATURES |
Reader Feedback
Members respond to last week's articles on high-end floral arrangements, Sam's Club fair trade roses online and the Rachel Ray show promoting florists.
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Discussion Forums
Members are discussing where to find cool, inexpensive vases, how to track down jewel picks and wedding proposal contracts.
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