A thorny problem for local florists?

Big box stores present a challenge to the little guys

Juliet mused that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. But would it matter whether that rose came from a florist's shop or a grocery chain?

Shoppers have long been able to add flowers to their list when they head to Tidyman's, Costco or some other one-stop shop.

The impact this is having on local florists, however, is subject to debate. Some think that customer service and expertise will always give local florists an edge, while others think that bulk-buying gives the box stores an edge.

Debbie Weaver, owner of Kalispell Floral and Gifts, is afraid chains will spell the end of small flower shops.

"It makes a huge impact," she said. "They're killing the small businessmen."

The chains can buy flowers in bulk and sell them cheaper than a florist can, she explained. If she were to buy, say, six bunches of roses and the chain were to buy 600 bunches, her roses might cost her over a dollar each, while the bigger store might pay only about 19 cents apiece, Weaver said.

Costco flowers come prearranged and are shipped in on trucks from a flower wholesaler, said John Bartlett, warehouse manager of Costco in Kalispell.

Because Costco operates with bulk buying and selling, there's only a minimal markup on the price to the end users.

"We don't charge what the market will bear," he said. "We charge that minimum markup."

Weaver said she feels the strain of competing with chain stores even during the best of times.

Last week, in preparation for Mother's Day, for instance, she worked about 85 hours. But the money she earned never made it to her bank account.

"There are times when, to keep costs down for my customers, I have to not take home a paycheck and put everything back into the store," Weaver said. "It gets very disheartening. You work like a dog and have to wonder why."

Bartlett believes local florists have an important role to play in the flower business.

"They might sell more specialty varieties that we don't carry," he said.

Some local florists think they have other advantages, too.

"The competition from box stores hasn't hurt our bottom line at all," said Fay Wolf, owner of Woodland Floral. "Our business seems to be growing along with the rest of the valley.

"Costco has carried wrapped flowers from the beginning," she added. "We honestly can't see that it's made any kind of difference at all."

Although roses are more expensive at Woodland Flower than at a chain store, Wolf still sells anywhere from 22 to 30 dozen roses each week, she said.

Part of the reason she remains unconcerned is because she believes florists will always have a competitive edge over chains.

Florists can guarantee their product, she said, and know they're selling premium flowers. Florists can also send flowers to someone's front door.

"I have yet to see a box store offer delivery," she said.

Quality and expertise are two areas florists outdistance chains, Weaver said.

"A lot of people think that a flower is a flower," she said. "Most men, and some women, think that if they hand someone a beautiful flower, they've done what they set out to do - make someone happy."

That's not the case at all, she said - when you buy bulk flowers, you are getting bulk quality, too.

"The quality isn't there because their employees are not florists or designers," she said.

And even if the flowers are of comparable quality, grocery store employees might not know how to properly care for them, Weaver said. Box stores often don't properly hydrate their flowers, she said, which means bouquets from a florist will last longer than those from a chain.

Weaver understands the attraction of low prices, but she believes there are people who still want more than "instant flowers."

"It's kind of like going to a hairdresser," she said. "You get used to going to a hairdresser and you can talk to them about anything and you know that it's not going to go any further."

Developing that kind of personal relationship with customers is something Weaver believes the chains lack.

"I have customers that will call, and even though I haven't met them personally, we have a personal relationship over the telephone," she said. "They're very personable to me, and without them, I'm done."

Taking care of her customers is a priority, she said, which is why she stands behind each flower she sells.

"If I don't back them up, my customers will go someplace else," she said. "And if they go someplace else, I can't pay my bills."

Wherever people buy their flowers, Wolf believes the important thing is that they continue to be a popular gift item.

"I'm glad that people buy flowers," she said. "If they're buying flowers it's good for the industry.

"Of course, I'd rather they bought them from me," she added, "but I guess I'd have to say anytime a person buys flowers I'm pleased."

Reporter Kristi Albertson may be reached at 758-4438 or by e-mail at kalbertson@dailyinterlake.com