Over the last 10 years Internet order gatherers have advertised on the web selling bouquets and floral gifts. The volumes have increased dramatically over the last 5 years. As they have grown, many of these companies have switched from ordering through local florists to delivering via couriers or cut flowers in boxes by post. This has damaged the over all number of orders available for traditional local florists. To make matters worse, their predicament has been compounded by other order gatherers sending orders through to retail florists at highly discounted rates. Effectively, many flower web sites are not florists but offices that gather orders from customers and then find the local florist and pay them 70% or 60% of the original price.
Many florists have expressed total disgruntlement at this situation. Many have taken a positive step of joining the 1st web site that genuinely simply takes its small service fee for each order transmission, allowing the individual florist to display their products and prices and to be paid in full with no deductions. The really exciting thing is that the customer is in direct contact with his florist and that the florists are spread around the world.
The Direct2florist web site was launched in Feb 2007. After a slow start has now accelerated to approaching 1000 members in the UK. Growth has included a new partnership between WF&FSA and Direct2florist.com in United States and Canada. WF&FSA are a non-profit making organisation of flower wholesalers and growers in the US. They are supporting and promoting Direct2florist in the US and Canada to the extent of advertising on their vehicles, stickers on their products and active encouragement for the local florist to join. This is an altruistic view that they have taken, but in some measure their intentions are to preserve the largest sector of their market i.e. the traditional local florist.
It's a very exciting concept, and some florists are offering to invest in Direct2florist. The take up and response from florists continues to grow stronger, with more and more florists registering every day. There are currently 10 countries on the site: UK, USA, Canada, Eire, Cyprus, Spain, Hong Kong, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. With enquiries from Malta, China and elsewhere, Direct2florist could really achieve a world wide membership over the next 12-24 months
Many florists have been delighted with the way the system works. One florist commented; "These are the best orders I can possibly receive. It's my product at my price and it prints out I don't even have to do any sales work! It's all done for me. Even the payment!"
Other florists have been surprised at the number of orders they have received via the Direct2florist site. "I have received over 100 orders already from Direct2florist, considering how new the site is, that is amazing."
For anybody wishing to send a floral gift, try your local florist, you will be pleasantly surprised at the improved value! Local florists are the real experts, by using direct2florist you are literally using the internet to visit your local florist! You can see the florist's work, see their designs and really get a flavour of the style that the florist employs. Customers that place an order are invited to star rate the florist once delivery has been made. Direct2florist believe this provides the ultimate rating system and customers can read comments and make comparisons between florists on the site. By going direct your flowers will be fresher. Box delivery is obviously not the best way to keep flowers and yet many Internet sites send all their floral gifts in a box. During the summer months it must surely get very warm inside those boxes and flowers don't like heat! The last thing anybody would want is to spend good money on halve dead flowers, how disappointing! Direct2florist always uses real local florists, in fact the customer can choose the florist nearest the delivery address.
Sending flowers to Auckland in New Zealand or Hobart in Tasmania or Charlotte in North Carolina? Search Direct2florist to see the actual shop. Its great to know you are going direct and not around 3 or even 4 offices that all take a piece out of your order. Direct2florist is the 1st real service that actually directs your order direct to the florist! Not to an office in your country that in turn sends your order to another office in the recipient country, that in turn sends it to the local florist. What a carry on! Direct2florist does exactly what it says. Your orders are sent direct to the florist. The customer pays a small service fee. The service fee is published on the site so everybody knows who gets what.
