Exotic Flowers in Boston

While In Europe, guests often bring flowers when visiting someone's home for dinner or an event. Guests in the United States, on the other hand often bring a bottle of wine.

Why the difference ? Well of course the cultural habits of both societies has evolved over hundreds of years. In Europe, wine is a staple in most homes and does not carry the intrinsic value we perceive in the United States. In the United States, quality flowers and bouquets are not as readily available. 

Wine of course has many health benefits, but one bottle of wine is only good for 4-5 glasses. One beautiful cornucopia of flowers is good for 5-7 days and enlightens over 20 dinner guests.

"Bread feeds the body, indeed, but flowers feed also the soul." - The Koran

This Thanksgiving, lift the spirits of your friends and family. Exotic Flowers in Roslindale will be open until 1pm for all your hostess gift needs.

Of course, if you are stuck on getting wine. Exotic Flowers in Roslindale does have a liquor license and sells wine. We will be featuring our holiday wine picks, just in time for Thanksgiving.

Remember, we are the local Boston florist who yearns to serve all your needs.

Every Saturday, the Society of American Florists (SAF) offers sales tips to floral industry professionals. This week, Katie Hendrick shares some holiday sales tips from Exotic Flowers in Boston.

Inexpensive Perks Keep Customers Merry

by Katie Hendrick
At Exotic Flowers in Boston, convenience and customer appreciation define the company's holiday marketing philosophy. We reached out to Rick Canale, owner of the 2008 Marketer of the Year-winning shop, for some tactics to get customers in the door and spending money, amidst all their other shopping activity.

Here are just a few of them:

• Sell Christmas trees and wreaths to generate in-store traffic
• Provide snacks – popcorn and candy canes – to keep tired shoppers in good spirits
• Offer complimentary containers of hand sanitizer (to keep cold and flu germs at bay). The Exotic Flowers version has "Red Sox World Series Champions" emblazoned on it.
• Send letters reminding customers of the previous year's holiday order with a personal letter. ("This gets great feedback," Canale said. "People appreciate reminders and they really love the personalization of the letter.")
• Hand deliver poinsettias to top 100 clients.
• Hand sign cards to top 200 clients.
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• Accessorize a large table by placing a long, narrow centerpiece in the center of the table. Add a few small votice candles on each side of the arrangement for an added effect.
• Ask your the staff at Exotic Flowers to create a centerpiece in a treasured family vase or bowl, or in seasonal pieces such as a cornucopia or a utility vase surrounded by dry corn cobs.

• To create a lot of drama and variety, place a topiary at one end of the table leading to a cluster of small potted plants, then two smaller topiaries with candles leading to a tray of votive candles and flower petals, and so on...
• Ask the Exotic Flowers floral designers to use vegetables or fruits as accents in your floral arrangement.

• Garnish your serving trays with flowers and greens.
• Scatter colorful fall leaves, flowers and votive candles along the center of your dining table.
• Float flowers in crystal wine glasses.
• Place a single long-stem rose on each plate to welcome your guests to the table.
• Decorate small desserts with flowers or make an ice ring with flowers to chill champagne or wine.
• Ask the Exotic Flowers floral design team to design the arrangements for your buffet table on several different levels to keep the eye flowing all along the table.
• Place a garland of fruit, flowers and fall foliage over your front door.

These simple tips will not only enhance your meal, but create lasting memories of beauty amongst your family and guests.

Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends and memories. Often times, we end up around the television for football. Leading up to the holiday, Exotic Flowers in Boston is proud to share its top five movies for the holidays.

Starting in reverse order:

5. - Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

Because Thanksgiving is about memories, we could not let this Charlie Brown classic escape our top five.

4. Bed of Roses

Our top five movies had to have one that included a flower shop.

3. Scent of a Woman

I attended Boston College (A&S '93) at the same time as Chris O'Donnell; so this one had to make the top 5.

2. Planes, Trains & Automobiles

"Those aren't pillows!" .. need I say more ?

1. Home for the Holidays

This movie is a must see. The movie reminds us that every family has issues, but in the end we are lucky to have family.

 I was born in Boston in 1970 and grew up in Roslindale. As a child, we were fortunate enough to be able to walk or ride our bikes to our friends' houses, play baseball by ourselves at Healy Field and street hockey at Fallon Field. Our bikes were like our own cars and gave us a freedom that almost no Boston child can experience today. With a pocketful of change, we could go to the local store and fill our pockets with bubble gum, baseball cards, candy cigarettes, and jaw breakers. Stores like the Town Spa, Florence Street Variety and many other corner stores kept a close eye on all of us as we gazed at all the goodies under the glass.

Imagine seeing a kid with a candy cigarette today. Not only not cool, but you would think it was a joint. Candy stores today are few and far between and the ones we find today are like Candy Kitchen in Delaware.

While the average corner store candy sale was less than a dollar, a candy store today must average twenty dollars per transaction to stay in business. As we appoach Sweetest Day on October 19th, 2013 we are reminded how candy stores have innovated and struggled to remain relevant.

Sweetest Day is celebrated on the third Saturday of October. In 1921, a group of Cleveland candy makers brought the event to the public. The idea is to celebrate someone sweet with something sweet. Sweetest Day was started to gain some commercial recognition for the confectioner's craft and flourishes in cities like Cleveland and Detroit. Although not that popular in Boston or New York, many college students will bring their traditions to the northeast to celebrate loved ones with candy, cards and even flowers. Why not start your own tradition and this Sweetest Day ?

At Exotic Flowers in Boston, we admire those trailblazing confectioners of Cleveland. As smart businessmen, they grouped together to keep their business relevant. Florists throughout the world can learn from these men. Teleflora makes an attempt with National Make Someone Smile Week and FTD tries with Good Neighbor Day. In 2013, the floral industry needs some trailblazing flower shops to adopt an idea to keep our business relevant.