Quality Considerations for Mother’s Day

04 May 2016

We all grow up trying not to disappoint our moms. The following quality tips can help you avoid disappointing mothers (whether it’s yours or somebody else’s) this Mother’s Day.

Purchase smart.

When possible, purchase your flowers in the correct stem lengths to maximize profit margins.

Order early.

Order product to match the timing of your production schedule and the proper stem counts to match your recipes.

Scale for success.

Keep scale and dimensions in mind when building each design; this is key to your customers’ perception and satisfaction.

Care and handling.

To prevent ethylene buildup, remove any dead or dying petals and leaves and do not submerge foliage below the water line.

Soak floral foam.

Properly soak your floral foam. As a reminder, when soaking your foam, you should gently place it in a large enough water reservoir to allow room for the foam to fill with water at its own pace.

Keep hydrated.

Keep flowers properly hydrated (including floral preservative) to create a better customer experience upon receipt and provide for the proper fullness in each design.

Check water.

Check water daily on all your premade arrangements prior to delivery.

Packaging.

Determine packaging per item prior to the holiday to ensure safe delivery.

Use ribbon carefully.

Ribbon is an accessory and should only be used when called for in the recipe, and then only in the manner in which it is described.

Design one-by-one.

When a SKU is offered in Standard, Deluxe, Premium and Exquisite sizes, concentrate on one recipe at a time to help ensure proper stem counts in each design.

This article originally appeared in FTD’s 2016 Mother’s Day Planning Guide. To view the guide and other Mother’s Day resources, including local marketing materials, substitution guidance, cheat sheets and more, please visit www.ftdi.com/mothersday/.