Friday, February 13, 2015

How A Calgary Florist Creates Practical Beauty

By Katina Brady


Early cinema gives viewers a small glimpse of the styles that predominated in the early 20th century. The arrangements displayed and the flowers worn by film stars rarely include specialty blossoms, and usually stress dimension over subtlety. While culture constantly changes, the primary services offered by a retail florist remain as important as ever. A Calgary florist produces consistently high-quality work that reflects current tastes.

Although grown for their aesthetic beauty, marketing fresh flowers is similar to selling produce. The stems must be purchased from the local wholesale market several times a week, and those not sold or used may end up in a dumpster. This creates the need for constant turnaround, even though the flower business is notoriously seasonal, and depends primarily on commercial holidays for survival.

Selling first-quality merchandise alone is not enough for success. Pricing must also be reasonable. The reality is that most smaller stores are unable to compete with the discounts offered by large discount markets, and instead rely on creating a solid customer base by word of mouth and a consistently excellent product. They also offer services unavailable in supermarkets, such as sending and filling orders for delivery.

In the earliest days, the telegraph was the only practical form of long-distance communication, and ordering an out-of-town bouquet is still referred to as sending flowers by wire. Today, a network of clearinghouses manages those communications, providing a reliable cash flow for many stores. While some shops rely heavily on these exchanges for income, they must also be able to produce consistently good work.

The employees that customers often glimpse in the work area have the responsibility of maintaining a good public perception of the product they produce. They must not only produce well-crafted arrangements for social occasions, but are also responsible for funeral displays, booking and designing the personal flowers for a wedding, or simply coming up with new ideas for the local high school prom.

They must also be able to do more than just arrange flowers without regard to economics. Designers must be aware of individual stem costs, be able to consistently produce a product that makes money in addition to being beautiful. Their efforts become meaningless if the work is not delivered in a safe and timely fashion, making a trusted delivery staff one of the most important parts of the entire operation.

The advent of discount online flower services has had an impact, and contributed to a decline in the overall number of small shops over the past two decades. Although most online companies transfer the orders they receive to local stores for delivery, the additional competition has forced some operations to tighten cost controls. Many have successfully overcome this latest business challenge.

Whether customers living in Calgary, AB are in the market for the perfect gift basket or just want a very special rose for a loved one, a visit to a full-service flower shop will provide many choices and satisfying solutions. Experienced florists give customers more than a wrapped bouquet, and help bring style, creativity and beauty to any occasion where flowers are important.




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