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Extra Features and Video Online FloristsReview.com R E A D O N L I N E 53 make the most of short-window premium flowers, such as tulips and Ranunculus, that are visually captivating but offer only a flash-in-the-pan life cycle. She focuses on what she can produce profitably. Fellow grower Lisa Joyner, of Fireside Farm in Efland, N.C., expanded her flower subscription model to add a Ranunculus-only subscription, and it sold out immediately. "ey are one of our first focal-flower spring blooms and have a long vase life," Joyner says. "And people love them; they have a cult-like following!" Customer : Individual or corporate? In reality, most businesses have a mix of both client types, but their flower subscription models tend to gravitate toward one or the other. Much depends on your market and contacts. Carolina Flowers had a thriving corporate subscription business by serving restaurants. Copus's annual restaurant contracts offered bulk buckets, bud vases and even a potted plant program. at segment wilted last year, but her individual flower subscription sales have boomed on two fronts. "About half of our retail customers buy for personal use, and the other half buy flowers as gifts," Copus informs. "And our Ranunculus subscription sold out this year." House of Lilac in Miami, Fla., serves strictly individual consumers, but even that dynamic has evolved this year. "Historically, our customers bought for themselves," says Nikki Baboun. "Now, we are seeing more gifting, like a group of friends pitching in to buy a flower subscription as a gift for a milestone birthday." Distribution: Delivery or pick up? Your distribution system will likely come down to your team size and resources. Carolina Flowers offers both delivery and in-store pick up, but most customers opt for the delivery convenience because Carolina Flowers' location is 20 miles north of Asheville, where many of the company's customers reside. "Almost all of our subscriptions are delivered. We had a successful delivery system in place, and it was easier to coordinate delivery than trying to convince customers to drive to us—and possibly have to wait for them or deal with those who forget their pick-up days," Copus explains. "It's also easier for us to control our time and costs." For customers who opt for home delivery, Copus charges a one- time delivery fee, at purchase, to cover her expenses. House of Lilac's subscriptions are largely pick up. "We love getting to know our customers," Baboun enthuses. "With them coming in regularly, we get to converse with them and learn about their lives. It's an opportunity to build relationships, and they become part of our family." What to Sell? e Stemmery offers three subscription options, all of which are named for locally relevant points of interest: the "Rainier Bouquet," wrapped stems for DIY arranging; "Cascadian Stems," a standard vase arrangement; and "Olympic Blooms," a grander-sized vase arrangement. "We keep it simple by offering only three packages, and we deliver once per week," Abare says. "We design on Wednesdays and deliver on ursdays. It allows us to eliminate waste and use all the stems we order each week." House of Lilac's offerings are much broader in size and customization. ey offer four sizes of wrapped bouquets, two sizes of vase arrangements and a gift option. For each option, customers may select either a mixed bouquet (a larger variety of stems that changes frequently) or a market bunch (more stems but less variety). Most all of the subscription-offering florists we talked to focus their marketing messages on the premium nature of their products and services. "We offer both bouquet and arrangement subscriptions," says Rob Gooljar, owner of Iris blossom in Charlotte, N.C. "Our products limit the amount of greenery and focus on flowers that have long vase lives." Copus agrees, saying, "Our customers count on us for curated premium flowers. And they are loyal because of our quality and selection." Subscription length and contract Options here are a mixed bag. Several florists tout no- contract-necessary and/or cancel-anytime approaches. Many flower subscription models allow customers to Carolina Flowers

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