The Value of Shopping with a Local Florist

Want to Save $8.00 - $15.50 on Flowers Today? Here's How.

The smart money at the Wall Street Journal recommends shoppers buy from a florist who will actually deliver their flowers rather than using an online broker who "will typically take a sizable cut and charge a service fee". Shop local, get what you really want, and save. It's really that simple.

How can I tell if I'm ordering from a local florist in the community to which I want my flowers delivered?

Unfortunately, the web and the yellow pages are full of companies posing as local florists. They uses phrases such as 'serving your city name' or 'servicing your city name.' In some cases, they have your city name on their website or ad but are actually located hundreds if not thousands of miles away. Legitimate local sites will include their physical addresses as well as local phone numbers. On the web, check out their 'About Us' sections.

Hint: If a site or ad doesn't contain a local address and local phone number, you can be 99.9% sure it's not located in the city to which you're sending your flowers.

How much can I save?

The vast majority of 'flower broker' web sites charge your from $9.95 to $14.95 for the convenience of transferring your order to a real local flower shop. Some even tack on an additional surcharge if you want to place your order over the phone! (Not us. We're happy to talk to you and give you free professional advice!) Ordering a fresh flower arrangement from us or your local full-service florist will typically save you from $8.00 to $15.50 for the very same flowers.

How to spot the 'free delivery' ruse.

Many order brokers show a pricing system quite different from your local flower shop. Their prices shown generally bundle the cost of the item with a 'pad' of $5.00 - $7.50 for delivery by the local flower shop. An additional fee of $9.95 to $14.95, a 'service/handling/shipping fee', is also charged for the convenience of placing the order through them. It's not a delivery fee. The local delivering florist, per wire service rules, is absolutely permitted to deduct their local delivery fee from the total order. In reality, unless a company is delivering the flowers themselves, they cannot claim free delivery - it's just simply included in the total price. Deceptive? Yes. Illegal? Maybe. Savvy shoppers also often notice that the 'free delivery' sites actually cost more than the ones that clearly state their delivery prices.

Need something special?

Your local florist knows what's in season, knows what's available and can suggest ideas that can be custom-made, affordably, on short notice. We are not just 'banks of sales associates' sitting in front of computer screens. We are real, professionally trained florists.

Supporting Local Florists helps ensure you a near-by quality, artistic, thoughtful resource for all your flower needs.