Has the time come for self-service flower shops?
The world is changing, customers are changing, and so do their needs. Changes are evident in the environment of florist companies. More and more processes are being automated. In the West, a fully automatic gas station is a very normal occurence. Nights and Sundays are no longer the only time when customer could fill up, pay and drive away without the help of an employee. A remarkable innovation of recent years – parcel machines – has revolutionized the delivery of products ordered online. Fast, hassle-free processes, on top of minimized costs, are praised by customers who choose this way of receiving orders. Are you noticing innovations in flower shops? What are the models for selling bouquets today in Polish flower shops?
Custom made
Many of the florists make bouquets on the spot, for a specific customer, for a special occasion. The florist creates a personalized bouquet based on the information gathered from the customer – what kind of occasion is it for, favorite flowers of the recipient and budget available to the buyer. These florists do not have ready-made bouquets in their current offerings.
Model mix
There are also florists who prepare pre-made bouquets, especially for weekends and flower days. Customers who do not like to stand in lines and wait for a bouquet to be made prefer to choose one where they can see what it looks like and how much it costs.
Pre-made bouquets
In Poland I have not yet encountered such a concept, but in the Netherlands there are many such flower shops. A flower shop that sells only pre-made bouquets – a few, a dozen, several dozen per day. In such a place there is no need to hire a florist when a salesman can manage it perfectly well all on their own. And there is a possibility to order pre-made bouquets can from a market that is made by Polish manufactures.
Order it, we’ll deliver
Online flower shops have already made their way into the minds of customers. Many people choose to order a bouquet online with the option of delivery to a specified address. This way of ordering flowers is preferred by those who are far from their loved ones, remember their special days and ocasions and want to send flowers.
Self-service flower shop
Two weeks before an epidemic state was declared in Poland due to SARS-CoV-2 virus infections, a self-service flower shop was established in Jablonka (Małopolskie Voivodeship). The owner of Kwiaciarnia Bez Lipy – Michal Paś – told me about the idea for such a form of sales.
“I have been thinking about it for several years. The inspiration came from observing the needs of customers, who often called late in the evening with a request to make and sell them a bouquet. Normal flower shop hours were not enough, and we never worked on Sundays. In the beginning it was supposed to be a let’s call it a “flower vending machine”, but at that time technology wasn’t developed enough and implementing such a glass flower cabinet would have been very expensive. Later I found that it is better to simplify projects than to complicate them, and the current form of self-service flower shop was created. Customers are very surprised that such a flower shop exists, because despite the fact that many of them live and work in Western Europe they have not seen anything like it. They are very happy to be able to order flowers for themselves and pick them up there or choose something from those available on site – for example at 2 a.m., Easter, or on Christmas Eve at 8 p.m. – when they forgot they were supposed to buy something as a gift while visiting. Customers are increasing day by day.”
The self-service form of selling bouquets and potted plants turned out to be a hit idea that fit perfectly with the subsequent limitations of the lockdown that was introduced. The investment paid itself off within a year. At the moment, the only cost is electricity, but in addition this self-service flower shop is like an illuminated flower shop’s window and also serves as an advertisement.
Automatic bouquet vending machines
A few weeks ago, I had an interesting phone call with the designer and manufacturer of the BouquetMat. It turns out that a Polish company has developed a flower vending machine. The prototype was installed in June in front of a flower shop in Andrychów. The Bouquetmat can work outside both in summer and winter. A specialized cooling system ensures a constant temperature safe for the flowers. Currently the only way to pay is by card, but in the future the manufacturer wants to introduce cash payment. The purchase process is very simple. On the touch screen, the customer enters the number of the chamber which holds the desired bouquet, then chooses the method of payment by card and applies the card to the terminal. After the payment operator accepts the payment, the BouquetMat opens the corresponding chamber door and waits 40 seconds for the customer to pick up the goods.
A variety of possibilities
It is good to have both knowledge and choice. Each entrepreneur chooses the best form of flower sales to suit individual circumstances, opportunities and the strategy chosen.
The choice between to have or not to have in the current offer of pre-made bouquets is a matter of business philosophy. It’s a decision that accelerates customer service, which is especially important on days when demand for flowers increases. This has a direct impact on increasing revenue, but at the expense of reducing the individual approach to the customer.
Self-service flower shop and BouquetMats are more of a diversification of the offer of operating flower shops. But it could be a good idea to operate on a larger scale – a workshop that makes bouquets and sells them only through flower vending machines set up in various potentially advantageous places, in the region, in the country or even abroad. It remains a matter of analyzing the idea, calculating costs, forecasting revenue, decision and action.
BouquetMat can be ordered on our website – HERE.
