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"Now, we have a photoshoot every month,"
Carithers continues. "Instead of creating in the
design room, we create for the photoshoot. We
take great effort to stay current and on trend;
then, every month, we re-create our designs,
so it's a different process. We also change our
product lines regularly ; we edit out of our
collections anything that has been commoditized
by the big-box stores. We also have better control
of our pricing and buying with this structure.
"All florists have had to scramble to survive and
find their spot." Carithers states. "e ones that
are still around are mostly on solid footing. I'm
very optimistic about the opportunities ahead in
the next 10 years."
For someone who started out making terrariums
( for a quarter each!) in his parents' shop some
four decades ago, Carithers has proved to be
a formidable—yet humble—businessman and
leader in the retail flower industry, carrying
the brand of excellence created by his parents
strongly into the future.
Florist Spotlight
April | 2021
