D2F where florists come first

In the competitive, often hard-edged world of
relay, it’s refreshing to hear about a provider
who’s just as keen to look after the interests of
real florists as much as they do their self. But,
for Direct2florist, this is exactly what they do.
The simple purpose of Direct2florist is
to direct consumers to real local florists.
Direct2florist (D2F) allows florists to display
their own products on their personal D2F
website, which is set up automatically when
registering, set their own prices and mark their
own delivery areas, all for just £75 a year!
Simon Stirling MD of Direct2florist says:
“Our website charges the customer a simple
transmission fee of £3 or £4 worldwide and
the rest of the flower fee is paid direct to the
delivering florist”
Direct2florist’s customer base is rapidly
growing all of the time, as more and more
people become aware of the service as the
company’s consumer promotion campaign
gathers momentum, pushing traffic to the
website, which has just enjoyed a bit of nip
and tuck.
“The website is just over two years old and
during that time we’ve made a number of minor
design changes that have improved the overall
look and usability whilst ensuring the basic
design has stayed constant,” explains Simon.
“The new design builds on this previous design
and branding, but further emphasises and
promotes the message of ‘going direct’. We’re
very pleased with the new design. It conveys
our message of going direct and the results so
far have been great.”
An interesting and popular feature with
customers and shops is the ratings feature
whereby all customers are encouraged to rate
out of five the service and quality received
from their chosen florist.
Simon adds: “A major feature of the site
is that over 90% of all reviews come back at
five stars. The reason is that florists receive
all the money they ask for and are able to do
a better job.”
The star rating is also a useful PR tool for
the individual florists. One of D2F’s members
contacted her local paper to let them know
she had received five-star reviews from
customers using her Direct2florist. The local
paper ran the story with headline “Florists
Blooming Reviews” along with a photo of Ione
Woodger-Smith in her florist shop, Flowers by
Crazy Daisy.
Another improvement to the D2F website is
the addition of a customer login for frequent
users, making ordering quicker and easier by
allowing customers to store details like credit
card, address book and memorable dates etc.
“We know customers are placing regular
orders with the same florists on D2F and the
development of this login has arisen from
feedback from those regular customers,” says
Simon.
Direct2Florist’s global coverage is expanding
too, as Simon explains: “Our business partners
in the USA are promoting D2F membership
via industry-wide telesales campaign and are
reporting record sign-ups to the programme.
They currently have 600 members across USA
and Canada and aim to achieve 2000+ in the
near future. In New Zealand our agent has
achieved full coverage of both North and South
Islands and is now recruiting members from
further afield including Singapore, Fiji and other
islands. In Australia there are 350 members in
the most populated towns and cities.”
Simon continues: “It’s a fact that increasing
numbers of florists are using D2F to send
orders to each other and not just in the UK
but worldwide. The D2F system offers a great
opportunity for florists to quickly and easily
send orders without involving a middleman.
The system is straightforward, quick to use and
passes on 100 per cent value from the customer
to the executing florist.
“It’s proving popular with forward-thinking
florists who are questioning the profitability of
traditional relay. It appears that the sender is
making 20 per cent commission but in reality,
after monthly fees and annual fees are taken
into account they are making very little. Using
the D2F system to send orders allows our
members to provide improved customer service
and value, which leads to more repeat business
in the future.
“It’s no wonder florists themselves are using
Direct2florist for international orders. After all,
this is the first service where the sending florist
can deal direct with the delivering shop and
remove the middlemen from the equation.”
Simon concludes: “Feedback from our
international members is excellent. There is real
goodwill for the concept of Direct2florist and
it’s this enthusiasm that has enabled us to have
such a successful start to the project. It’s our
intention to continue expanding coverage both
domestically and internationally so that more
customers and florists can benefit from the
Direct2florist service worldwide.”
Want to be a part of it?
Are you a florist with a shop/studio,
broadband and a Credit Card Machine? If so,
visit www.direct2florist.com and search for
your town/postcode. Do they have a member
in your area? If not, or if you wish to register,
contact Simon by calling 01204 452000 or
Join online at Direct2florist.com

Contact Information

simon stirling

director

direct2florist

Contact via E-mail