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One of the largest florist chains in the country, 1-800-Flowers, smells growth in the Sunshine State.
The Long Island, N.Y.-based chain seeks to sign both new franchisees and what it calls “co-branded locations.” Those are franchise agreements with existing florists that keep the local brand name but use the 1-800-Flowers concept, order flow, products, systems and support.
“We have some exciting things happening in Florida,” 1-800-Flowers vice president of franchise development James Franks tells Coffee Talk. “We have the brand 1-800-Flowers. Everyone knows that name. That makes it really attractive to investors.”
One recent example of the co-branded approach is in Charlotte County, where husband-wife florist shop owners Robert and Deborah Kormann signed on. The Kormanns, after 25 years behind Port Charlotte Flower Mart, now run 1-800-Flowers/Port Charlotte. 1-800-Flowers also has co-branded locations in Daytona Beach, Pembroke Pines and Oviedo, north of Orlando. In addition to those stores, the chain has seven more 1-800-Flowers locations in Florida that are full-branded franchise outlets. One is in Clearwater, and another one is in Carrollwood.
Franks expects 1-800-Flowers to target more potential franchisees in Florida in the near future, including the Gulf Coast. The Kormanns have had some fast success in their transition to 1-800-Flowers, company officials say, and that helps boost the opportunity. “We will continue to grow,” says Franks. “We want to be the brand of choice in the local market.”
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