Starting a new local florist shop
Discussion
My daughter has said to me she would love to open a florist shop. I have an understanding of how a normal business would work but not a florist. I’ve told her I would do some research and we can sit and put a plan together to see if it works or not.
This is where I’m hoping you good people can help. Has anyone got any industry knowledge or really any information that you can pass on to help me with my research?
This is where I’m hoping you good people can help. Has anyone got any industry knowledge or really any information that you can pass on to help me with my research?
I don't have expertise, but would comment that the florist that does our flowers is fairly newly open and doing well...a couple of comments from that;
They do flowers and interiors - the interiors bits make the shop look nice, and the expense is just stock and floorspace.
They do our flowers on a bi-weekly basis - targeting that sort of "subscription income" will make life alot easier in quieter times.
loafer123 said:
I don't have expertise, but would comment that the florist that does our flowers is fairly newly open and doing well...a couple of comments from that;
They do flowers and interiors - the interiors bits make the shop look nice, and the expense is just stock and floorspace.
They do our flowers on a bi-weekly basis - targeting that sort of "subscription income" will make life alot easier in quieter times.
It’s funny you should say that but she also brought up interior design as well They do flowers and interiors - the interiors bits make the shop look nice, and the expense is just stock and floorspace.
They do our flowers on a bi-weekly basis - targeting that sort of "subscription income" will make life alot easier in quieter times.
What sort of flowers? The market for a cheap bunch of carnations v an expensive hand tied bouquet of in season flowers is very different.
My wife would love to do the same thing but we reached the conclusion that the market where we live isn't big enough / affluent enough to be interested in buying what she would like to sell. The locals are happy buying a cheap bunch of flowers in the supermarket / market stall for everyday and would buy from the 'old fashioned' florist for special occasions. Effectively buying the same flowers they could have bought in the supermarket.
We did a big pricing exercise based on buying fllowers from Holland and local growers and concluded that there wasn't enough margin in it to make it worth while taking on the risk and investment. But that was based on more niche floristry, run of the mill flowers would be different.
There are a number of big flower schools around the country that provide an insight through their courses. Guess who was in Bath for a few days in Bath the other week while his wife played with giant floral installations...
My wife would love to do the same thing but we reached the conclusion that the market where we live isn't big enough / affluent enough to be interested in buying what she would like to sell. The locals are happy buying a cheap bunch of flowers in the supermarket / market stall for everyday and would buy from the 'old fashioned' florist for special occasions. Effectively buying the same flowers they could have bought in the supermarket.
We did a big pricing exercise based on buying fllowers from Holland and local growers and concluded that there wasn't enough margin in it to make it worth while taking on the risk and investment. But that was based on more niche floristry, run of the mill flowers would be different.
There are a number of big flower schools around the country that provide an insight through their courses. Guess who was in Bath for a few days in Bath the other week while his wife played with giant floral installations...
Number_9 said:
She is wanting to open a general shop to begin with so that she can generate an income and then bolt on a fancier side of the business allows it.
I would imagine that flowers for weddings and funerals is where the decent money is, because people are not buying so much on price.Number_9 said:
She is wanting to open a general shop to begin with so that she can generate an income and then bolt on a fancier side of the business allows it.
How will she differentiate her offer from Tesco et al?They will always be cheaper even if she buys direct from Holland. That's the one question that she needs to ask herself and has been stressed by every 'expert' my wife has taken advice (at a cost) from. Most people will buy the cheapest stems they can get their hands on and arrange them themselves. The only time they will pay for someone else to do it for them is for a special occasion or because geography dictates the need, in which case you need to include doorstep delivery into your budget.
I'm not denying there are an awful lot of small florists across the country, many of which turn a reasonable profit. But from my exposure of doing a very similar exercise to you earlier this year, you really need a differentiator. We're good friends with a florist who has seen her business, that opened a year before Covid, grow but she isn't 'run of the mill' in terms of stock, has a very big target market on her doorstep, branched out into teaching / workshops and is now expanding to open her own flower school in bigger premises.
I get dragged into a lot of florists. Actually I get dragged to look in a lot of florist windows. All of the traditional (read general) ones have been there for years and rely on their reputation and brand (probably working with Interflora). All the new ones offer something unique and not just dried flowers, vases, cushions and throws.
Personally, we reached the conclusion that "general" won't work on our own. That was then confirmed when we (my wife) took advice. When we looked at a differentiator, we concluded that the target market for our preferred offer just wasn't where we live.
Thanks for all the replies so far.
A few questions if you don’t mind
• realistically what sort of turnover can you expect, the town where we live has approx population of 80,000 with 3 florists already.
• what is the approx profit margin, I’m reading between 40-45% ?
• can a novice who is very creative pick up the “manufacturing” side easily enough. I would help with the “operations” side until the time comes to employ people.
• who are the main or best wholesalers
• she is thinking of splitting the shop with seasonal items, Christmas, Halloween etc. what are your thoughts?
• can a local florist compete with online ?
Understand if nobody wants to answer some of these questions
A few questions if you don’t mind
• realistically what sort of turnover can you expect, the town where we live has approx population of 80,000 with 3 florists already.
• what is the approx profit margin, I’m reading between 40-45% ?
• can a novice who is very creative pick up the “manufacturing” side easily enough. I would help with the “operations” side until the time comes to employ people.
• who are the main or best wholesalers
• she is thinking of splitting the shop with seasonal items, Christmas, Halloween etc. what are your thoughts?
• can a local florist compete with online ?
Understand if nobody wants to answer some of these questions
Number_9 said:
• can a local florist compete with online ?
I don't know for sure but I would have thought that given the nature of the product and service, online is simply a sales portal with the actual display, presentation and delivery done by a local florist on the books of the online store.I would imagine the question to ask here is more 'how much do the online stores take from the orders they pass on?'
If your daughter hasn’t worked in this business then realistically it’s not going to go well.
Sorry to be blunt but that’s the truth.
Every business has its particular methods to make money which you’ll only know from working in it.
Do that for a year or two then see if she still has the enthusiasm for a shop.
Sorry to be blunt but that’s the truth.
Every business has its particular methods to make money which you’ll only know from working in it.
Do that for a year or two then see if she still has the enthusiasm for a shop.
Thanks for the “negative” feedback it’s always good to hear that as well as the positive.
I’ve already had the same conversation with her with regards to her experience level and competition. This is the reason why I asked her to consider a bolt on to get the footfall up and also that the bolt on must be some that doesn’t need a great deal of experience. We don’t have a seasonal type shop close by but that may mean there is no requirement for it so more research is required.
I’ve already had the same conversation with her with regards to her experience level and competition. This is the reason why I asked her to consider a bolt on to get the footfall up and also that the bolt on must be some that doesn’t need a great deal of experience. We don’t have a seasonal type shop close by but that may mean there is no requirement for it so more research is required.
Number_9 said:
Thanks for all the replies so far.
A few questions if you don’t mind
• realistically what sort of turnover can you expect, the town where we live has approx population of 80,000 with 3 florists already.
• what is the approx profit margin, I’m reading between 40-45% ?
• can a novice who is very creative pick up the “manufacturing” side easily enough. I would help with the “operations” side until the time comes to employ people.
• who are the main or best wholesalers
• she is thinking of splitting the shop with seasonal items, Christmas, Halloween etc. what are your thoughts?
• can a local florist compete with online ?
Understand if nobody wants to answer some of these questions
Firstly, I would suggest you pay need to what the others have said reading experience. She needs to work in an established Florist shop for at least 2-3 years to learn what actually goes on, what things are important, and if she actually likes it. If she doesn't do this, she does not have a high chance of success.A few questions if you don’t mind
• realistically what sort of turnover can you expect, the town where we live has approx population of 80,000 with 3 florists already.
• what is the approx profit margin, I’m reading between 40-45% ?
• can a novice who is very creative pick up the “manufacturing” side easily enough. I would help with the “operations” side until the time comes to employ people.
• who are the main or best wholesalers
• she is thinking of splitting the shop with seasonal items, Christmas, Halloween etc. what are your thoughts?
• can a local florist compete with online ?
Understand if nobody wants to answer some of these questions
I also encourage you to listen to Eric's advice regarding location, footfall, passing trade, cost of lease/rent of premises etc. This is very important, as much of the success of a Florists is location and footfall, especially if you plan on selling gifts, cards, furniture, decorative items etc.
The turnover if a bit 'how long is a piece of string' and depends on your location, footfall, competition, and what services you offer. At a bare minimum I would be offering cut flowers, plants, planted baskets, bouquets, wedding and funeral flowers, hand tied bunches, cards, gifts, and home accessories such as furniture.
With the actual flowers and plants themselves, many florists simply use the 'double up' method. Buy a bunch of cut flowers in for £10, sell them for £10.
The flowers are the risky part as they are quickly perishable. If you don't know exactly how much to order each week, you will lose as much in dead stock as you make in selling them. This is where the experience of working for someone else is invaluable.
Selling furniture, cards, gifts etc is where the easy money is. You sign up to a big nationwide supplier such as Coach House, and buy items from their website at wholesale trade price. Typically there can be up to 100% markup on things like this. You buy a wall mirror or a chest of drawers in for £150 and sell it for £300, and so on. Seasonal stuff is very popular as well such as Christmas lights and decorations.
But again... you need experience of what sells. You can't just go and buy a load of furniture and lamps that you like the look of, you have to buy stuff that your local town will buy.
It is important to recognise that local florists cannot compete online. Freddies Flowers, Bloom & Wild, M&S, Flying Flowers, Waitrose, Moonpig, etc have all done that to death and you will not compete.
The best wholesalers for flowers are the Dutch. The come round each week with lorries full of flowers and plants, and you buy from them based on what you like the look of, and what you have pre-ordered. You must learn the art of haggling with them over the price. Different Dutchmen will cover each town and city, and have the same route/customers each week.
It is worth considering signing up to s service such as Interflora, but this is nowhere near as important as it used to be. It is now more important to have your own website where people can order direct with you, or simply call you to order something for local delivery or collection.
Offering local delivery is a must. You will need a dedicated van and driver to go out 6 days per week delivering flowers and furniture.
Do not underestimate how busy you will be during peak periods. Valentines day, mothers day, easter, Christmas. These periods can be insane, and you should be prepared to work 7am to 9pm, and with extra staff, for the days around these times, and certainly in the couple of weeks leading up to Christmas.
Be aware that you will need to train staff members on the art of floristry. They will also need to have an eye for it. It is like being an artist, either you have got it or you haven't. Also know it is like training hairdressers. Once they are qualified and get good at their jobs, they may possibly leave and try to start their own business, or move to a rival business for £1 per hour more or suchlike.
You should offer Christmas trees and decoration services to other businesses at Christmas time. Many offices, factories, car showrooms etc all want Christmas trees and decorations, but want someone else to come and install them. You can charge a lot for this.
All year round you should offer 'plant rental' services. This is where you install plants into hotels, offices, showrooms, pubs, factories, schools, etc and then you charge them a weekly rental fee. You will need an additional van and staff member to drive round all these places all week carrying out one visit to each place to water, replace any dead plants, clean the planters and so on.
Being a Florist is about having as many steams of income as possible.
Number_9 said:
• can a local florist compete with online ?
In my mind, yes. Every time I have ordered online, I have been disappointed with what turned up, in terms of value for money. I guess if you buy a £45 bunch of flowers online, the platform takes a share, so you actually get a £30 bunch turn up. Now any time I need to buy flowers, I go to a florist shop directly, you get a vastly superior product.My sister was a florist when I was younger, she did a YTS course in Floristry at Sparsholt College, and worked in Florist shops in Worplesdon and Burpham. I remember it was a lot of early mornings to head up to the markets (in London I think) to source stock, plus working in a cold shop.
Aside from that I can't really help...!
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