Large online floral websites like Teleflora, FTD, Blooms, and 1-800 are basically answering services. They take your order and your money and then wire the order to a local brick and mortar shop.  What they don’t send is all the money. It’s a service and with every service comes a fee. The service charge for wiring the order, (about $14 dollars) they keep. This is separate from the delivery fee they charged you. On top of that they take about 30% of the total amount paid to them as a commission for taking the order. The remaining amount is sent to the local florist to fill your order.

What are you actually getting when you spend a total of $54.00 on one of these websites?  Well, if you take away the  $14.00 wire fee and the 30% commission or  $16.20 the local florist is left with $23.80 to fill your order. But wait the local florist can’t deliver it for free he has a driver and expenses associated with having a delivery van like gas so he has to subtract anywhere from $5- $10 for a local order from the top to cover delivery.  If he takes only $5 there is now only  $18 left to make your arrangement.  That is why it’s almost impossible to get what you pay for when ordering from one of these large wire services.

You also have direct from the farm companies like Pro Flowers. Which send your flowers direct from the farm to the recipient. So why do I need a local florist?  You don’t if you don’t mind your loved one receiving flowers in a brown box that have been out of water for some time and then having to cut and arrange them in the vase that is thrown in the box. It doesn’t make quite the impression or have the same impact as having beautifully arranged flowers hand delivered to your loved one as opposed to the FedEx man. And obviously having been out of water for some time won’t last as long.

When ordering online also beware of the many companies that pose as 'local florists' in online ads and search results. You'll end up paying too much more for your order (which will get fulfilled by a local florist in the end - but with much lower quality as they receive significantly less money) when using these masquerading distributors. 

Last but not least what about your local grocery store? Why shouldn't you just pick up a bouquet of flowers from those buckets by the cashiers at the grocers? It's more convenient than going to the florist, and certainly cheaper than ordering them online. They're just as pretty and we have a nice vase at home!

Like all things, you get what you pay for. The life of your flower is affected by genetics as well as growing conditions. More importantly though, the conditions the flower is stored in will affect the life span of the bloom. A lack of proper refrigeration shortens the life of a flower and it will wilt more quickly. Heat sources further aggravate this problem, even the heat given off from the cash registers at the grocers! Car exhaust fumes also cause a more rapid deterioration of the bouquets sold by street vendors.

It’s best to work with a local florist in your neighborhood you trust to handle all your floral needs even if they’re going outside their delivery area.  If there are any issues you can always walk into the shop and deal with someone directly. Try getting any issues resolved while on hold with one of the wire services or with the FedEx man that delivered you dead flowers. Most local florists have a network of other local florists around the country they deal with on a regular basis so they know which flower shops in which cities to use.  If convenience is the most important thing most local shops have websites, 1-800 numbers, like the big wire services with the added convenience of lower wait times and more knowledgeable personal service (since they actually handle flowers on a daily basis). If it’s price that motivates you most local flower shops offer the same coupon discounts that you see advertised online, on TV or hear on the radio advertised by the large wire services.  You can sign up for their email mailing list or just call and ask.