Once a local floral artisan has prepared a consumer’s arrangement, a photo is snapped and sent via email to the consumer, alleviating the guessing game and eliminating a disappointing delivery. BloomNation is an idea inspired by unhappy customers receiving flower arrangements in poor condition or appearing differently from stock photos in advertisements.

“Sending flowers is a very personal experience and often revolves around an emotional event,” said Gregg Weisstein, co-founder and chief operating officer of BloomNation, Los Angeles.

“The last thing you want is your thoughtful gesture misconstrued by wilted or underwhelming flowers,” he said. “Seeing an actual photo of the arrangement before it is delivered gives you assurance that you won’t be embarrassed by your gift.”

Snapchat for flowers
Once the arrangement is made, the florist takes a picture of the flowers and sends it to the purchaser prior to delivery, ensuring that what they bought is what they will receive.

BloomNation claims all of the flowers on its Web site are hand delivered by the local florist. The photos provided for reference on the site were taken and uploaded by a real florist, according to Mr. Weisstein.

The retailer assures there is no stock photography being used on the site, and consumers can be confident they are purchasing a gift that an experienced florist, who has created the arrangement before, is preparing it.

BloomNation maintains a database of 2500 local florists delivering to more than 3000 cities across the United States and accepts Bitcoin payments.

Flower power
Many innovative changes have taken place among the floral delivery department, aiming to create a more pleasant and seamless experience for the consumer. 

1800Flowers.com’s acceptance of Bitcoin payments in the fall reflects the retailer’s search for new ways to reach a growing audience whose financial dealings and purchasing increasingly happen in the digital realm, including mobile.

The Carle Place, NY, company will begin accepting the virtual currency through the Coinbase platform already used by Expedia.com, Overstock.com, DISH Network and other brands across its sites, including 1-800-Flowers.com, 1-800-Baskets.com and FruitBouquets.com. The move underscores the marketing buzz the mention of bitcoin can generate even though it is an unofficial currency and considered experimental (see story).

Earlier this year, 1800Flowers explored crowdsourcing to reduce costs and enhance the delivery experience for customers.

The Web-based floral and gift retailer announced a partnership with Deliv, a peer-to-peer network of shoppers and delivery people designed to give customers the choice of receiving their items whenever and wherever they want. The news came at a time when consumers’ options for same-day delivery were growing via services such as eBay Now, AmazonFresh and Google Shopping Express (see story).

Similarly, BloomNation aims to provide an interactive experience and give consumers more control over their purchases.

“Most online flower delivery services rely on drop-shipping or random florists to fulfill their orders,” Mr. Weisstein said. “This often results in wilted and old flowers or flowers different from what you ordered.

“BloomSnap takes the anxiety and guess work out of ordering flowers,” he said. “You no longer have to hope that what you ordered will actually get delivered.”

Final Take
Caitlyn Bohannon, editorial assistant for Mobile Commerce Daily, New York