As online shopping and delivery services become increasingly popular, we continue to see a shift in the floral industry. Traditional florists are finding it harder to sell and reach new customers, leading to the false belief that the industry is dying.
These increasing challenges may have a lot to do with an increased interest in easy and accessible shopping, and not necessarily a decreased interest in floral arrangements. A plant gift or a dried flowers bouquet are extremely popular to shop online in webshops, like Bloompost.
Statistics show that approximately 18% of Internet users worldwide have purchased flowers and gift sets online. The reality is that e-commerce flower stores are not that different from traditional ones. The e-commerce flower industry is simply the addition of modern customer interaction, transaction, and delivery methods, to the traditional trade model. These additions help significantly reduce property rental costs, workload, time, and energy for vendors and customers making it possible to get more out of each sale.
As for how this incredibly convenient way of selling and shopping is possible, it has a lot to do with the help of e-commerce platforms like Ecwid. This makes it easy to take care of all the web design, transaction, and order management processes, making it easier than ever to start an online flower store.
The online flower industry may sound like a mystery or a threat to many, but we are here to destroy all of these claims. Read on and find out how to easily make the switch to selling flowers online, or simply add this option without having to move from your physical store.
Reasons to start a delivery business for local florists:
- Unsaturated market. Great opportunity for local florists to stand out from the rest.
- Lower operating costs. No need to pay for rental space.
- Easy to customize. Customers have more room for creativity.
- Makes shopping easier. No need to move from your home.
- Great opportunity to reach new customers. Greater chance of being found by many.
These are just a few of the many reasons to start a flower store for online delivery that we will discuss in this short post.
Online flower stores offer a chance to stand out from the rest
Offering local flower delivery services is a great way to find a solution to a common need. Often, due to work or just distance, many find it difficult to send their loved one’s flowers when there is a special occasion or just as a way to give them a little something to show off. Having the option of someone else delivering their loved one’s gift directly to their door is something many are willing to pay for.
It is not possible for a customer located in Texas, for example, to know what kind of flowers are offered by a local florist in Florida, where their loved one lives, without having access to a website with images, descriptions, and videos. This is why online presence becomes necessary even if you are a local and physical florist.
Imagine someone who knows nothing about flowers calling to place an order without knowing what each flower you mention looks like?
This quickly becomes an impossible mission, one that highlights the importance of having access to an online store because it creates more room for customization and offers a nice preview to your customers. This gives you an edge over other stores that cannot offer the same.
Aside from being a necessity, having a website and transitioning your flower store to an online delivery service is currently considered a smart business move. This is mainly because the online flower industry is not yet as saturated, with few florists offering this type of experience and service. This makes it a great time to start an online flower store.