Presenting

Extra Features and Video Online FloristsReview.com R E A D O N L I N E 37 THINK BEYOND CHRISTMAS Christmas is the heavy hitter, but there are a multitude of other holidays that are celebrated in November, December and January. Make your holiday customer experience inclusive by offering a range of floral and gift options appropriate for all holidays. Use social media promotions to highlight other date-specific offers or celebration-specific arrangements or gift items. You may attract an entirely new customer segment. THE PRICE IS RIGHT To appeal to the broadest audience, offer a range of price options. Lower-priced items are great add-ons to gift baskets or floral purchases. Be sure to mention these items at checkout. Assemble styled gift combinations as samples for customer thought-starters. "We offer simple, tasteful things that no one else has," Wages shares. "And we offer all price ranges. We want everyone to feel welcome and be able to find something for within their budgets." Finding the right products is half the journey, but displaying them in a way that invites customers into an experience changes holiday sales from "ho-hum" to "ho-ho." "I create highly curated displays based on themes I choose," Sigman states. "I start working on ideas in June and July and look for products that complement my themes," After Halloween, she closes her store for four days to completely empty the store, paint and reset for the holidays. She even keeps photos of previous years' displays to make sure they are always changing. Stacy Molander , of co-owner and creative director of Rusted Window in Carmel, Ind., merchandises to lead customers through the store, starting at the front door. "We invite customers in with our home décor vignettes," she explains. "As they progress through the store, we have a thoughtfully curated gift selection that concludes in our robust plant-and-flower 'oasis.'" Holidays are a sentimental time. Despite trends, nostalgia reigns. Scents are emotional triggers of memory and can be used to set a mood in a display. Balance your store layout as you would a floral design. Twinkling lights and sporadic color repetitions add highlights and rhythm to your layout. " You don't want a visual clash of colors in your design," Sigman advises. "So, I plan the color flow in our shop. I make notes of where red appears each year and distribute it around the store. And I break it up with plenty of neutrals." MAKE MERCHANDISING AN Experience MAKE THE REGISTER A DESTINATION For impulse buyers and time-poor shoppers, consider a seasonal gift display at checkout—something new that customers will notice. Organize items by price range, recipient, style or theme. Make the display easy to shop, with clear signage and pricing. And be sure to assign a staff member to keep it neat and replenished. Set up gift-wrapping or custom boxing close by so buyers can preview a finished gift product. GET IT ONLINE While many shoppers are ready to return to stores, we've all spent a year shopping remotely, and that conditioning may stick. To capture every sales opportunity, put your inventory online. Post those beautifully packaged gift sets and other styled images to inspire ideas. Look for platform plug-ins that provide purchase add-on inquiries, suggested items and pop-up offers. An online shopper ready to checkout may be ready to add or upgrade items. EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS 2021's holiday season could be your fi- nancial restart. Spend time planning your merchandising and browsing virtual or in-person markets to be ready for the shop- ping resurgence. Know that floral designing can consume you during the holidays, but Wages advises that you stay focused on customer service to cement those sales. "You have to make time to talk to custom- ers," he says. "One thing our customers know that they can get here is interaction with a designer. at personal experience builds relationships that equal repeat busi- ness. It's rewarding but hard work; however, exceeding customers' expectations should be the goal of all florists." Les Fleurs

• Cover