Flowerbud.com, a Cut Apart From the Online Flower Industry Bunch; Open for Business and Ready to Compete.PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 18, 1999-- With $906 million up for grabs, Flowerbud.com (www.flowerbud.com) of Portland, Oregon, today announced that they are open for business and ready to compete, fully intending to deadhead dead·head Informal n. 1. A person who uses a free ticket for admittance, accommodation, or entertainment. 2. A vehicle, such as an aircraft, that transports no passengers or freight during a trip. 3. a few rivals as they establish dominance in the decentralized de·cen·tral·ize v. de·cen·tral·ized, de·cen·tral·iz·ing, de·cen·tral·iz·es v.tr. 1. To distribute the administrative functions or powers of (a central authority) among several local authorities. cut flower cut flower n. Any of various showy flowers used in fresh arrangements. industry. Flowerbud.com is not just a "click and mortar" business offering mega-gift baskets in bulk and selling arrangements of blue carnations on the side. Rather, Flowerbud.com is a technically integrated Web-based business that sells premium cut flowers direct from the grower and has the credentials to withstand the extreme margin pressures expected to eliminate many online flower category players in the future. Three fundamentals differentiate Flowerbud.com from the rest. First, by delivering product the day after it is harvested, Flowerbud.com extends the life and value of cut flowers six times beyond that of the competition. According to Mark Hayes, co-founder of Flowerbud.com, "The average life of a cut flower is 14 days. Consumers should be aware that cut flowers in retail stores are often harvested 12 days prior to purchase. That means consumers get to enjoy their flowers for only two days, compared to 13 days of potential enjoyment when purchased through Flowerbud.com." Second, the Flowerbud.com shopping experience is controlled directly by company founders Mark Hayes and Alice Hayes. With more than 30 years in the flower business, Mark Hayes has made his life's work the advancement of cut flower quality, bringing contacts and experience to the venture that are unmatched in the industry. To consumers, this translates into a compelling online shopping experience from first click through to final delivery -- pristine flowers complete with cooled packaging. Flowerbud.com is for people who appreciate the kind of quality necessary to stop traffic in a New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Saks Fifth Avenue Saks Fifth Avenue is a chain of upscale American department stores that is owned and operated by Saks Fifth Avenue Enterprises (SFAE), a subsidiary of Saks Incorporated. It competes in the elite luxury department store market with Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and Barneys New store (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange :SKS SKS Szkolny Klub Sportowy (Polish: School Sports Club) SKS Some Kind Soul SKS Samozariadnyia Karabina Simonova (Russian military carbine) SKS Vojens Lufthavn, Denmark - Jojens ), as a bouquet of Flowerbud.com flowers recently did. Finally, while Mark's passion fueled the establishment of Flowerbud.com, Alice's technical acumen ensures that Flowerbud.com is not just a me-too player, but rather fully utilizes the best of the Internet to take the entrenched en·trench also in·trench v. en·trenched, en·trench·ing, en·trench·es v.tr. 1. To provide with a trench, especially for the purpose of fortifying or defending. 2. distribution mechanism of the cut flower industry to task. Flowerbud.com is the only online flower vendor whose distribution channel is truly enabled by the Web. When an order is placed at www.flowerbud.com, the information is automatically transmitted via the Web to corporate headquarters, the grower and the United Parcel Service United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE: UPS), commonly referred to as UPS, is the world's largest package delivery company, delivering more than 15 million packages[1] a day to 6.1 million customers in over 200 countries and territories around the world. (UPS) for instant processing and same day shipping. Others in the industry take orders via the Web, but process those orders by printing out hardcopy instructions and individually faxing shipping instructions to their flower suppliers. Forrester Research (Nasdaq:FORR FORR Friends of the Russian River FORR Freedom of the Road Riders (Motorcyclists) FORR Flight Operations Readiness Review ) projects in their report Retail's Growth Spiral that U.S. online retail sales for the flower category will be $906 million by 2003. But, as the customer base grows to support this figure, knowledge of the various alternatives will increase. As Dr. Irv DeGraw, research director at WorldFinanceNet.com (www.worldfinancenet.com) states, "Presently, the floral market is fragmented and not price conscious. Few customers know where their $50 will buy more, better quality flowers, or how much goes back as commission. But, the stronger the Internet order flow, the tighter the online flower market will become." A cut apart from the rest of the industry, Flowerbud.com's unmatched industry experience, product quality and truly Web-enabled distribution channel uniquely position the company to dominate the online cut flower industry. |
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