On Saturday, Feb. 16, Syndicate Sales Inc., in Kokomo, Ind. officially acquired the E.O. Brody Company. Syndicate also bought the retail florist portion of Indiana Glass from The Anchor Hocking Co.

Preliminary information from an informal sample of the SAF Retail Council and Wholesale Council members indicates that Valentine's Day sales were either up, mostly in the single digits, or flat compared to a year ago. Many were comparing their results to the dismal sales they experienced during the 2007 holiday, when dreadful weather pummeled much of the country and beat down sales.

January was a bad month for retailers, according to an article in Advertising Age. Not only was the month record-breakingly bad, but it also, much to the frustration of retailers, came on the heels of a less than stellar holiday season.

Flowers coming into the United States from Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru may continue to arrive duty-free, according to a proposed extension of the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA). The ATPA was scheduled to expire on Feb. 29, but on Feb. 14, the House Ways and Means Committee approved a bill known as H.R. 5264, extending the duty-free status through Dec. 31, 2008.

More than 110 SAF members from 40 companies and 27 states are taking their business concerns to Washington, D.C. next week for SAF Congressional Action Days.  They'll be talking about the need for immigration and estate tax reform and stressing the importance of funding for the Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative. 

Looking to increase your by-the-stem sales for your eager DIY customers? The February issue of Real Simple magazine does its part to help.

Beneva Flowers & Gifts in Sarasota, Fla., gave customers a new way to get 'out of the hound doghouse,' by having their Valentine's Day flowers delivered by 'The King' himself, an Elvis impersonator delivering flowers and singing a valentine to the recipient.

What do we mean by "sustainability" in the floral industry?  Is it the same as "certification" ... or "organic"?  What's happening with the proposed national standards? How are companies acting on this information?

A 10-minute PBS documentary being distributed online by PBS Frontline World, says that the U.S. market is ready to pay more for flowers in order to push for more fair trade practices.

Everyone wants flowers for Valentine's Day — even criminals. That's the thinking behind the Anne Arundel County Sheriff Ron Bateman's hoax on Feb. 14, when he and other officers posed as flower deliverymen and served warrants, not flowers, to crime suspects; 12 suspects were successfully duped and arrested.

While out just doing his job on Valentine's Day, one deliveryman unexpectedly gained a new title, hero.

• SAF's Pest Management Conference: Feb. 28-March 1, 2008, in Atlanta. Register online.
• SAF Palm Beach 2008: Sept. 17-20, 2008, at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Fla.

 Help your consumer be a "hip giver" with this customizable guide.

Members certainly are talking — about everything from continuing education classes in floral design to imprinted cello wraps.

 The "not applicable" category in last week's e-poll garnered a lot of responses.

What product categories are growing at Easter? More than a third (37 percent) of the florists reported sales of fresh flowers were on the rise, the most optimistic assessment of the three product segments.