Teleflora Acquires Flowerbuyer.com

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Teleflora Acquires Flowerbuyer.com to Offer
Discounted Wholesale Prices to North American Florists


Innovative online auction service will help grow profits
of Teleflora’s 16,500 North American members

Los Angeles, CA—(August 6, 2013)—Teleflora, the world’s leading flower delivery service, today announced the acquisition of Toronto-based Flowerbuyer.com in a move that will offer discounted wholesale prices on fresh flowers to florists across North America, including more than 15,000 shops in Teleflora’s industry-leading network. Flowerbuyer.com, North America’s largest wholesale flower online auction, works with over 200 growers across the world to expand retail offerings and profitability of local
florists seeking to increase their profit margins through the purchase of discounted, fresh flowers.

“We think the marriage of the world’s largest floral network with the world’s most innovative flower wholesale buyer will be a win for Teleflora members and the entire North American floral industry,” said Teleflora President Jeff Bennett. “We are excited to offer our member florists a new way to purchase fresh flowers at incredibly low prices. On the flip side, our connection to the network will assist in expanding the Flowerbuyer customer base.”

With the exception of the CEO who will be retiring, the core management team intends to stay on, post-acquisition. Flowerbuyer.com, in business since 1995, is already one of the largest and most successful online wholesale flower-buying services in the world, with more than 2,500 active customers.

FlowerBuyer.com utilizes an online auction method, giving neighborhood florists a unique opportunity to purchase quality, fresh flowers at bargain, or dramatically reduced prices. Flowers purchased on Flowerbuyer.com auctions sourced from high quality growers located primarily in Columbia, Ecuador, Costa Rica and California. At the time of sale, they are either still growing in fresh fields or just arriving at the fulfillment facility, where they are quickly inspected, pre-cooled and shipped. “We are excited to leverage the florist network and marketing prowess that Teleflora brings to expand our innovative, price-effective solution to flower-buying needs,” said Mike Wisz the Managing Director at Flowerbuyer.

“FlowerBuyer’s online auction system is a great way for florists to log on to their computers and choose from a variety of beautiful flowers at prices far below wholesale market value,” Bennett said. “Teleflora has been a global leader in deploying technology to help local florists adapt to the 21st century economy. This acquisition is an exciting opportunity for our members to grow their profits. Anyone who has ever gotten a great deal on E-Bay or Priceline knows the huge potential savings you can get using the online auction model.”

About Teleflora
Teleflora is the world’s leading flower delivery service, connecting customers with the nation’s best local florists for more than 75 years. Teleflora has more than 15,000 member florists throughout the United States and Canada, with an additional 20,000 affiliated florists outside North America. By tapping this vast network, Teleflora offers the kind of personal touches, artistry and expertise you expect from a trusted neighborhood florist—even if that neighborhood is across the country. Teleflora is part of the Roll Global LLC family of companies. Accessible online at www.teleflora.com and www.findaflorist.com or toll-free at 1-800-TELEFLORA, our network of professional florists create artistic arrangements that turn the treasured gesture of a bouquet into a lasting memento. Luxe yet affordable, aspirational yet accessible, Teleflora makes every day an occasion.
 
I guess we could have seen this one coming as FTD has been in the business of wholesaling fresh flowers for some time now. I am curious to know how they will handle current FlowerBuyer customers who are not Teleflora members. Is Teleflora looking create a wholesale business outside of their current model and membership? On the flipside will actual Teleflora members receive some sort of preference on FlowerBuyer.com over non members?
 
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TF has been wholesaling for a while through Stems & Bunches, but I gather it never really took off.

Years back FTD mandated that as POS installers we spend at least an hour of the install time walking the shop owner through the FTD cut flower marketplace. They really pushed it hard, and it must have done well for them.

TF has been trying for a while to rebrand as a service provider, not a wire service (with WS as just one of ~26 channels they provide), and this acquisition seems to fit with that mentality.
 
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From reading the article, it appears that for now they plan on still selling flowers to everyone with a current account. They just think they will expand the number of businesses buying on line. My bigger concern is, as @autj mentioned; that they will start a drop-ship program to further undermine their member florists.

@CHR found hidden back links on member websites a year or two ago and blew the whistle. There have been other underhanded schemes they have tried, just ask @Eric S . My point is, it would not surprise me at all to find out that they will be selling flowers much like Proflor does, only under a name other than Teleflora. Now that they have their hands on the technology AND resources AND the seasoned staff they can take it even further.

It is my sincere hope that they will use this acquisition to help local florists ~ and I can say without qualm that the prices really ARE extraordinary.

As should be the case with every business, Teleflora did not make this purchase for the benefit of member florists but for themselves. However, it WILL benefit the members in COGS. I hope they do not compete for the same customers but.....they've done it before.

For myself, I will continue to purchase from them ~ I'll be watching to see what the prices do and if they continue to stay in the same ballpark, I'll continue my association. Over the years I've learned which growers to stay away from regardless of how low the price goes. I very seldom order anything in the summer because the flowers can sit palletized for many hours on the tarmac here in my city before getting sent on. Although FB has always been very fair about giving credit, if you needed the product for an event and it got cooked you still are out the product. I really prefer local wholesalers but sometimes they just can't touch those great prices.
 
The bottom line is that we are all in a changing industry and every sector of it is busy trying to redefine their niche. As the number of retail flower shops continues to diminish and those in existence continue to have an on line presence the need for the "traditional" floral wire service become less with each passing day. So any astute business they are seeking ways to fill the gaps ( technology, wholesaling, and in some cases "direct to consumer").

While it's fun and to some extent essential to watch the actions of other sectors in the industry the real focus always has to be on what changes can you make to your own business to ensure it provides the products and services the ever fickle consumer is seeking. Many of those that have fallen by the wayside in the flower industry were unwilling or incapable of changing with the times.