1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. Finds Ecommerce Success Through Customer Centricity

Gifting company 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. successfully evolved into a leading ecommerce business after entering the market as a phone-based model nearly 35 years ago. By leveraging digital strategies and ecommerce solutions across its family of brands, including recently acquired Shari’s Berries and PersonalizationMall.com, 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. has seen record revenue growth. 

In late January, 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. reported YOY revenue growth of nearly 45% for Q2 2021. The retailer attributes its recent surge in revenue to ecommerce growth, which climbed by 59.7% during that same period. The heritage gifting and floral retailer has a mission of “inspiring more human expression, connection and celebration.” The societal shifts resulting from COVID-19 amplified the need for more connection, as consumers longed to feel together while apart, positioning 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. brands for ecommerce success. 

1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. Creates Ecommerce Platform To Meet The Diverse Range Of Consumer Gifting Needs

According to Amit Shah, president of 1-800-Flowers.com, Inc. in order to scale sales, the retailer created an ecommerce platform that leveraged the company’s varied portfolio of brands to provide consumers a single destination for all gifting occasions. Described by Shah as an “intuitive” platform, 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. allows consumers to buy across the mix of brands all on the same platform. As part of the recent online buying surge, consumers have turned to ecommerce for their gift buying, with the recent holidays seeing record breaking online shopping sales. Digital solutions across its brands have helped 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. scale customer engagement and cross sell to drive online growth.

Transitioning From A Phone-Based To An Ecommerce Model Required A Multichannel Digital Strategy 

For 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc., transitioning from a flower shop to a phone-based business to a group of gifting brands required innovation tied to strategic deployment of multichannel digital advertising. “As a company, we’ve always possessed an ‘early adopter’ mentality, which has helped us compile an impressive list of industry firsts and innovative initiatives over the years,” said Shah. From early partnerships with tech companies to offering shopability via social media platforms the 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. brand group has consistently leaned into the most effective digital approaches. 

First-Party Data Allows For Customized Product Recommendations

1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. nurtures its customer relationships across its brands, recreating “the one-to-one personalized interactions we had with customers on the floor of our very first floral shop” said Shah. By leveraging its first-party consumer profile data, 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. is able to offer the best product recommendations, factoring in consumer profile information and gifting occasions. Shari’s Berries, well known for their chocolate-dipped strawberries, deployed an email campaign this Valentine’s Day, offering a 10% off promo code. The email also tapped into the current trend of gifting to friends and family and the messaging provided links to other 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. brands.

Campaign Performance Analysis Leads To Optimized Engagement

1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. tests new creative and deployment strategies across digital channels, including video and social media. Campaign performance results allow for creative and channel optimization while also providing consumer insights that can be leveraged during future efforts.

Mobile-Friendly Experiences Facilitate Seamless Shopping

In 2020, adults spent more than three hours a day on mobile devices, highlighting the imperative for brands and retailers to optimize their mobile strategies. According to Shah, 1-800-FLOWERS.COM. redesigned its mobile app to offer a “highly-personalized user experience and a streamlined gift buying flow.” Apps allow brands and retailers to facilitate push notifications and offer more authentic and targeted one-to-one connections.

Loyalty Programs Offer Additional Incentives That Consumers Appreciate

For many consumers, the savings and rewards of loyalty programs represent a driving factor in their desire to shop somewhere specific, which means loyalty programs help brands and retailers with customer engagement, acquisition and retention. The 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. Celebrations Passport Loyalty program gives members exclusive discounts for shopping in advance of holidays like Valentine’s Day, free shipping and no service charges across the family of brands, including Harry & David, PersonalizationMall.com, Shari’s Berries and Simply Chocolate.

Providing experiences that facilitate the wants and needs of customers is essential for brands and retailers shifting their business models. For 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc., the shift from phone-based retailer to an ecommerce group of brands was managed strategically, maintaining the brand attributes customers had grown to rely on (like personalization) while adding the ease of shopping that a network of online gifting brands can provide. 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. maintained a customer-centric approach as they evolved and grew, and that approach is paying dividends for them as ecommerce becomes the preferred way to shop.

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