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Extra Features and Video Online FloristsReview.com R E A D O N L I N E 55 55 e company started offering curb- side pick-up and finds that it is still a popular option. 2 Rethink the In-store and Online Customer Experience As COVID restrictions lift in various parts of the country, retailers should keep in mind key considerations from customers. As the use of digital shopping technologies by consumers accelerates, it may be time to rethink the in-store and online customer experience and engagement. People are tired of staying at home, and what better way to kick off a store "re- opening" than to hold an in-person DIY flower class for all your best customers? Get them into the store and let them engage with your staff so they know you are ready to handle any flower needs they have. e experience economy will be back bigger and better than ever now, and shoppers are looking for a human touch to interact with retailers, be it a flower class, cooking class, yoga class or wine-tasting class. 3 Live Selling is Here to Stay You may assume that live selling (à la HSN and QVC) has gone the way of shopping malls and Blockbuster Video. Yet live selling isn't only a disruptive force in retail that has outlived the shopping mall, it's also a concept breathing new life thanks to modern social platforms. In terms of generating revenue, it's never been stronger. Why does the live-selling model work so well for flower shops? For one thing, people love flowers and seeing freshness and color. Live sales events are truly engaging; they're more immediate, more vivid and more visual. Live selling taps into a basic fact about people: We're social creatures who crave immediate interaction. And that energy and excitement can be contagious. "Live shopping engenders trust and community with our best customers," says Howard Hurst, president of Tipton & Hurst in Little Rock, Ark. "We're in an era where off-the-shelf options are giving way to engaging customers face to face and creating enduring relationships with our brand." 4 Weddings Are Now Back On Many of the people who had to postpone their big events last year have now started rebooking with a vengeance through the end of this year and into 2022. While the overall wedding size may be smaller, the budgets are still there. "e first half of 2021 has been great though not a complete recovery," shares Brittany Madon, owner of Florida Beach Wedding in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. "We've been able to reschedule many of our 2020 wedding clients, who are flocking to prime dates in 2021. Our destination wedding market is rebounding, which is a strong sign, and we're anticipating growth into 2022." "I can't even keep up with the backlog of weddings," White confides. "Couples definitely want to lock in their new dates because of the backlog. I am taking only one or two weddings per weekend, as opposed to three or four in the past. And my everyday business has been so busy that I take less work and make more money." 5 Consumers Will Pay for Faster Delivery Sending flowers was one of the few ways to connect with loved ones during the pandemic in the absence of in-person visits. Many flower retailers saw record sales after Mother's Day in 2020. Today, many consumers are willing to pay a premium to have their floral gifts delivered even faster, but most retailers are still charging only a flat rate for "anytime" same-day delivery.

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