The Floral Industry in 2006 and future

I weep for the present and future of the Floral Industry !!!

It seems that more of the wire services are steping in , with there fees and demands this takes the art out of designing.
Designers need to look at shining exsamples like Preston Baily . Use your imagineation.

People pick up flowers at the grocery store but the art is in the design, thats where the florist get their business DESIGN.

A followup question. How reputable are drop shippers, like floraserv?

Everyone thinks they can design. They try to shove grocery store flowers into vases for events and then go to a shop to find out why their flowers don't look right! If they asked an attorney for advice, they would be charged by the minute -- however, they think florists should give them information out of good will.

Thomas, I agree with almost everything you are saying. I too have lost a floral design position for these same reasons. However, your comment about "the mexicans" is uncalled for and obvioiusly racist. I'm embarrassed for you. You need more than a career change, try an attitude ajustment and maybe you'll stop losing jobs!

i am looking for an energetic, talented , career minded designer who likes to be continually educated and appreciated

thomas in Germantown, Maryland said: i also feel sorry for the floral industry these days.If the wire services dont take over all of them soon then the mexicans will for alot less money.I have lost 4 jobs because instead of paying me the $14 an hour they can pay then 7.50 with no benefits.i am currently looking for a career change

Thomas,
Are you still looking for work in the Northern Va. area. I am about 45 minutes away from you. If you are qualified I will happily pay the $14 dollars or more.
Holly Chapple <Edited by Host: contact info removed>

Holly Chapple in Ashburn, Virginia said: Thomas,
Are you still looking for work in the Northern Va. area. I am about 45 minutes away from you. If you are qualified I will happily pay the $14 dollars or more.
Holly Chapple <Edited by Host: contact info removed>

I hope thomas contacts you. Would you be willing to interview me as well. I am a floral designer in silver spring maryland also looking for work. Thanks, Gathoni

I am an owner in Upstate NY looking for a designer , I am half way between Buffalo and Syracuse NY.

Any takers????

Great! I will call tomorrow. What's the best time?

Thank you
Gathoni

Vonnie Bryant said: It seems that more of the wire services are steping in , with there fees and demands this takes the art out of designing.
Designers need to look at shining exsamples like Preston Baily . Use your imagineation.

People pick up flowers at the grocery store but the art is in the design, thats where the florist get their business DESIGN.

Preston Bailey doesn't know how to make a floral arrangement and never did
he is a showman and a celebrity front for great designers who worked for him and still do
i worked there for a whilw-he is very charming but a fraud in terms of his own skills
he is very charming and that is all

preston bailey has joined the 800 flower team,800 flowers are just theives in the night.they take the business away from florist,then steal their money.jim mccain is going to be a speaker at the super floral show in orlando fl come june.now he is reaching out to grocery stores to join 800flowers/bloomnet.ftd is already in bed with walmart,you can go to walmart.com and wire flowers out through walmart.what a shame for all the local florist.no wonder why florist are closing there doors after many years of being in business.

How sickening. Why don't these stores sell what they are in business to sell and not infringe on other peoples livlihoods. Maybe us florists should start selling bread, milk, and electronics?

I am looking for qualified floral designers for our floral business. I do not sell what the grocery stores sell nor do I pay what they pay. We have a family owned florist and it's getting increasingly difficult to find creative, talented people who want a job and not just a paycheck. Anyone looking?

Amy in Saint Paul, Minnesota said: Thomas, I agree with almost everything you are saying. I too have lost a floral design position for these same reasons. However, your comment about "the mexicans" is uncalled for and obvioiusly racist. I'm embarrassed for you. You need more than a career change, try an attitude ajustment and maybe you'll stop losing jobs!

Even though that person's comment sounds racist, it's actually honest and accurate. If it was a bunch of white Germans no one would get offended. Perhaps you don't live in or near the west coast where literally people are losing their jobs to the throngs of mostly Mexican/Latin immigrants coming in. It's not just the rants of closed minded white folks but all kinds of working class people struggling to make a living and competing with them. It's the employers fault as much as any of us for allowing to happen but it's understandable that people naturally want to be mad at the people getting the jobs. It's all they see. Try and understand instead of just doing the typical politically correct but ignorant based reaction and blaming the ones complaining, actually see their complaint and understand that albeit harsh it's based in fear that is driven by betrayal and commerce.
I myself had to compete for childsitting and floral jobs while living in LA and I have a degree, speak English, pay taxes etc....but it didn't matter. They wanted cheap labor at the expense of American people.
-a lefty from the bay area.

josette in Canandaigua, New York said: How sickening. Why don't these stores sell what they are in business to sell and not infringe on other peoples livlihoods. Maybe us florists should start selling bread, milk, and electronics?

Because as America heads deeper and deeper into the direction of true capitalism, blatant and all out greedy capitalism, we are going to see more and more of this kind of behavior. People don't matter, only profits. Quality of production and products don't matter, only the bottom line. Who knows where it will end but right now it's pretty obvious that corporations don't care about the affect they are having upon American working class and it's cottage industries. So of course their M.O. is to cover all markets, provide everything a consumer would want to buy in one trip to the market instead of having to hit up four or five stores. In some ways it's good for the consumer but bad for working people...ie..SprawlMart etc....They not only corner all markets and ruin them but then don't pay their own employees good and put them in ruin.
Keep up the good fight. Find new ways of advertising and putting your work out there. Be creative not just in your designs but in your marketing. Get together with other florists and find out ways to beat the ugly system that is taking over little shops. Yes sometimes you might have to lower your prices to compete but if you are able to woo people over to quality designs over mass consumption, then you can make a living.

I toy with studying more floral design to work in it because I see how more and more supermarkets are eeking out designer boutiques. So it's scary to think about embarking upon this career if it's only going to end in frustration. Perhaps I will do it as a side career to not get burnt out or frustrated. That means, that modern folks like us have to have a million skill sets to survive and be happy.

Good luck!
DM

i have had similar situations occur in the work place.. i was currently working for a long establised florist who has now become mainly a 1800 florist, i found myself among only imigrants i was the only american, who has put 25 years experience in the industry only to be pushed out by foreigners who are willing to work at 7.50 an hour. I was the highest paid employee earning 16.00 an hour with no benefits. these people are over worke and exteemly underpaid. what has happened to the floral place.. I love what I do but have been unable to trust another employer that has found an easy way out of making a small profit on using people as their means. Is there anyone out ther in montgomery county that is looking for an extrodinay addition to thier shop.. Please call. <Edited by Host: contact info removed>

Bubba in Los Angeles, California said: A followup question. How reputable are drop shippers, like floraserv?

Hi Bubba-I am thinking about adding floraserv to my storefront on the web-how has it been for you?

Cindy or Josette, are you still looking for designers!? I'm interested! I'd love to learn more about these opportunities.

trish gallorini in Washington, District of Columbia said: i have had similar situations occur in the work place.. i was currently working for a long establised florist who has now become mainly a 1800 florist, i found myself among only imigrants i was the only american, who has put 25 years experience in the industry only to be pushed out by foreigners who are willing to work at 7.50 an hour. I was the highest paid employee earning 16.00 an hour with no benefits. these people are over worke and exteemly underpaid. what has happened to the floral place.. I love what I do but have been unable to trust another employer that has found an easy way out of making a small profit on using people as their means. Is there anyone out ther in montgomery county that is looking for an extrodinay addition to thier shop.. Please call. <Edited by Host: contact info removed>

Trish - please contact me right away. I am looking for an experienced designer immediately and am hoping to hear from you. I look forward to your response. Maryann Conrad

We are looking for an experienced designer for a floral shop in Cabin John, Md. If you are looking for full-time and/or part-time, please email me with your contact information. This is a permanent position and hoping to start the right candidate(s) immediately.

I'm looking for a full time position, and the Cabin John location sounds wonderful! My e-mail address is shiley.4@osu.edu. I would love to hear more about this position. Thank you so much!

Looking for fulltime work in the washington dc area or silver spring area, would be able to fill in for holiday work. Have 26 years experience.

patricia gallorini in Silver Spring, Maryland said: Looking for fulltime work in the washington dc area or silver spring area, would be able to fill in for holiday work. Have 26 years experience.

my email address is gmisstrish69@aol.com

Lynn Delano AIFD said: I weep for the present and future of the Floral Industry !!!

I know how you feel. I have been a designer for 35 years ... and have seen a lot of changes. Just laid off. Can't find a job out there...

Any body know of any shops in the Philadelphia suburbs looking for a designer with lots of talents in all phases of Floral ?

I'm a shop owner in Burleson Texas and am having a hard time replacing a great designer I have that is having to move out of state!
It's a small shop with no DIVAS! We all wash buckets, empty trash, process flowers, greet customers & take phone orders.
As for holidays...
We haven't stayed past nine o'clock for the last three years. I hire a lot of help & we are well prepared.
I don't provide health benefits, but am extremely flexible and willing to work with schedules. When things get slow, I still provide the hours and am competitive with pay.

Good shops are out there, don't give up! We need dependable, friendly and creative designers to keep us going!

If you know of anybody in the Fort Worth area, please have them contact me at blossomsontheblvd@sbcglobal.net and check us out on blossomsontheblvd.com!

Good luck & happy holidays!

Joe in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania said: I know how you feel. I have been a designer for 35 years ... and have seen a lot of changes. Just laid off. Can't find a job out there...

Joe try Polites in Upper Darby Pa - Just listed on Monster. Good Luck to you

Thanks WJE .. I have not been on this form for awhile . I landed a job with a supermarket working in there floral department. Lots of perks , pension, 401K, great health plan. Making more now with great benefits I guess I was lucky I got laid off. worked out to my benefit. Good luck to anyone working in a Flower Shop I think after Christmas a lot of people will be laid off. Till they need you again for Valentines Day.

Hi everyone!

Is anyone looking for help with some project? I'm a free lancer with many years of experience. My area of expertise is European flower design for weddings, social events and funerals. I also provide work shop seminars. My main office is in Michigan but I offer a flexible services nationwide and international.
Please visit my website at www.indigoefd.com
Looking forward to hear from you.
Doro

After 28 years in the retail Floral business I have seen it all it seems...
Now there isnt much left to admire like there once was. When I was 17 and starting out" you paid your dues if you worked in the floral industry. You had to know propper processing and handling, Sanatation & ethylene control, names & types of flowers...ect" now you can take a six week course at a local collage and come out expecting 12.00 hr. having never worked in a shop, here in Florida anyway. I can remember a time when it was a challenge to find a designer when you needed one...now they seem to be falling from the sky in my area. Every shop I know of has a new owner or has closed.
The New Owner" is a huge issue in its self" everyone that I have seen take over has drained the inventory" reputation & bank account. Then the wire services have marketed your customer with coupons, mailers, and other offers to use there .com site. With claims of example...Vase of spring delight delivered for 29.95 today" sound familar? the non profit order! The only profit to be made is them getting their fees and your delivery money.
I feel like I have wasted a life time of learning an unwanted skill - sad.

The design business is alive and well,you need to think like a design star and stop worrying about grocerie stores or German Mexicans,Great design will always make lots of money. I average 300 an hour when i work,Visit www,newyorkflowerdesign.com and join the winners!

mike in Milwaukee, Wisconsin said: The design business is alive and well,you need to think like a design star and stop worrying about grocerie stores or German Mexicans,Great design will always make lots of money. I average 300 an hour when i work,Visit www,newyorkflowerdesign.com and join the winners!

Maybe in New York" not anywhere else in america. My former boss is AIFD, travels worldwide, does the Oscars every year, and even he sold his shop and is working part time in a shop now himself. Hes an excelent designer.
He is the exception to the rule" you have to chase that political AIFD, SAF, to have the connections. Slowly...the average Joe' is carring less and less about any Holiday events" Corrsages" Date Flowers" Ect~ I have had several people walk out of our florist after making the statement "We can just get flowers at ...." Its a very elegent shop,& we used honest pricing.
I am expecting to work this Christmas holiday...and the orders are NOT comming in. At all. I would advise you to stay in New York and continue to prosper, being nice to every client - cuz' there could be several hungery designers headed your way"

i know many aifd guys who are broke,aidf is for the birds,,,,,,,,,,i live in milwaukee with school is chi mpls and nyc and my students do fine,Every week there are major events and weddings going on in every city,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,why not make them yours I DO!!1 and thats what we teach THx

btw i chase none i want know aifd saf clunbby people telling me in a success or not,that way is for losers,yoou have a problem with the image of the shop or the way uyou are getting new business,,,there are many people buying flowers ,u have to figure out why not from YOu!!!

Lynn Delano AIFD said: I weep for the present and future of the Floral Industry !!!

please read my comments,the industry is alive and well ,!!Many of my friens are AIFD I am not and am more successful that they are,One needs to set hos path to success and not rely on others telling you u are a good designer, The general public never has known what aifd means and never will which is why its a waste of time and money.

I agree with AIFD sucks" as I previously said thats all political. Most - not all aifd designer that I have met seem to think just because they paid to be judged and passed that makes them a better designer - Phooi"
All im saying is that in any state there is a major city that has major events of course. Overall america does not as much, and its getting worse.
I have always been the one to say "new ideas for a new age customer" but with the economic times I see things continuing to decline. Back in the late 1990's when FTD fell apart - I said only the strong survive. Well now in my case every shop has a new owner or has closed. Unless I am willing to comute to Tampa, Orlando or move to Miami those big jobs are to few and far between to survive.

I too am sighing with disgust. Creativity doesn't count. Nor does speed or talent. Only cheep. That goes for the consumer AND the flower shop owners.

Been a florist all my life, tried, true & dedicated to all ends. I have run shops of all kinds for more than 35 years. From Mom & Pops to events to warehouse. Trained by my grandparents, formal design training & business related college. Not a job out there for me.

I'm laughing at Mike. (respectfully) Just wait until he's been at it for over 30 years---- You all can check out his attitude then. I won't. I will have starved to death by then.

Yep" Bravo! Wouldnt it be cool if we could start a "Designer" owned wire service network thru "Designer" owned shops. Call it United Designers....thats how FTD started. Now that its a .99 cent' world people could care less about premium flowers designed with lasting care.
and what makes it worse for me is applying for a new job and they say "you worked in a flower shop? with a condacending snicker...then something like " this is a stressfull position, not sure if you would want to try that" WHAT!
I always like to come back with Well try taking a 600.00 funeral order at 1:30 for delivery by 5:00 all in shades of Blue and your primary flower wholesaler came thru at 11:30. Meanwhile one of your Best customers just called and wants his 50.00 vase delivered to his wife that its never good enough for there by noon - and thats just 2 sales - we have all had this day...several times" So when Job hunting try not to want to kill the interviewer...its hard when they are younger and are a snot about it.
Good Luck everyone...from a future student of something new I guess.

im mike,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, and ive been doing this for 25 years an ,make 100,ooo a year,so wake up anyone complaing about the lower industry,,,,,,,,,,

Miss Molly in Mchenry, Illinois said: I too am sighing with disgust. Creativity doesn't count. Nor does speed or talent. Only cheep. That goes for the consumer AND the flower shop owners.

Been a florist all my life, tried, true & dedicated to all ends. I have run shops of all kinds for more than 35 years. From Mom & Pops to events to warehouse. Trained by my grandparents, formal design training & business related college. Not a job out there for me.

I'm laughing at Mike. (respectfully) Just wait until he's been at it for over 30 years---- You all can check out his attitude then. I won't. I will have starved to death by then.

hi im mike and make 100000 a year,,,,,,,wake up

Well Mike- when you learn how to type, maybe we will believe you.

You saying that you pulled in $100,000.00 salary over costs? That being in the neighborhood of $45.00 an hour fulltime, & is hard to believe. If true- Then congrats.

If that is your biz's total income- try subtracting your overhead, COGS & incendentials & tell us what your real income is. BTW- $100,000 for a shops annual revenue is diddles.

Wake up to what Mike? The FACT that shops are closing left & right & that warehouses filling uncreative piture orders has taken over?
We woke to that fact a few years ago. Sorry.

I don't think anyone on this forum can form a proper sentence, use proper grammar, or proof read before they hit "reply". This was supposed to be an educational and helpful site, however lately I just find it plain annoying.

It's pretty obvious that the industry is suffering. Some people just choose to blame the victims and bask in their own greed. Good luck to you all.

we are designers not ENGLISH teeechers

I've been a floral designer for 31 years. 25 of those years I've worked for my self. I have had a great reduction in my income for the past three years. The fact that I'm looking at this site instead of working tells you something. I manage to survive but that's all. In responce to Mike's comment about AIFD, he's right. I am not certified with them and most of my customers don't have clue as to what it is. The most important thing is to know what you're doing.

I was recently laid off from my floral design job of 10+ years. It was the first lay off in the company's 25 year history. Floral design is a dying art, and it is time for me to move on. I'm 53 years old, with a B.A. in English. I am fortunite to have my health, which is not the case for many designers of my age and older.

All my best to others that are in my position, and God Bless those of you who have given your last drop to the floral industry.

Hi Debbie...my name is Debbie to. You are lucky to have a degree to fall back on. I will be 45 this summer and I would have been in full time designer 29 years" this summer - It feels like I have been in a flower shop all my life. Good luck to you :) if you stumble accross a fabulous new trade let the rest of us know~
Best wishes

Hi Debbie, thanks for responding. Are you currently seeking work? Were you also laid off like myself?

And yes, I will keep you posted!

Debbie

Yes" I am...the local shop I managed has sold twice in the last 5 years and relocated once" I was kinda squeezed out by the newest owners...they are all but shut down now. They had a couple genius ideas" like canceling Teleflora cuz' they thought the fee's were to high and they dont have FTD or anyother wire service. Not the smartest plan but oh well. Two other long standing shops have closed in this area. There were to many shops for this area to begin with...but there is soon to be only one left in town. Because of my experience and reputation I have had my choice of shops to contract for the holidays thank goodness. Now I an considering commuting to the Tampa area for full time work if its out there, but if gas goes back above 3.00 a gallon I would be unwilling to drive a hour each away. I have no clue what else to do"....even grocery stores, they pay peanuts and offer only part time. So I have no good answers....Im hopeing for a Miracle.

Hi Cruiser" Thanks for the information" Truily I think for the most part the candle maina is over" We sold Greenleaf and Yankee in the shop" well we had them for sale - they did not sell well. From about 1996 to 2002 we sold alot. Thanks for the tip"