Interflora
Encyclopedia
Interflora is the most commonly used name for a group of organisations worldwide, providing florists
with a brand under which flowers can be purchased and delivered to 140 countries, most with their own partnership, or unit.
, and a nurseryman, Carl Englemann in Saffron Walden
, Essex
were looking to increase their business. They knew of the Florists Telegraph Delivery Association (now known as Florists' Transworld Delivery
) which had existed in the US since 1910, and applied to join as foreign members. In 1923 the UK arm of the FTDA was officially formed and had seventeen members across the UK. Back then, one of the straplines used in advertising was Flowers by Wire when the telegraph
was actually used to communicate between florists. Later, telegrams were sent from member to member requesting deliveries to be made in the recipient florists area. In the original Interflora Directory, used by members, the longest established members could be recognised by their telegraphic address. This would be the only telegraphic address in that city to include the name Interflora. In the case of the founding members, their telegraphic addresses were "Interflora Glasgow" and "Interflora Saffron Walden" respectively.
In 1953 the name changed to Interflora and the slogan Flowers Worldwide along with the now famous Mercury Man roundel became well known. Say it with Flowers became the subsequent and most famous slogan associated with Interflora.
When telegrams became obsolete the most used method for requesting deliveries was by telephone. Following that Interflora brought in messenger1 in the mid to late 80's, this system was very similar to sending a fax. Then in the late 90's messenger2 was introduced. This system used the internet to transmit orders. In the early part of this century Interflora brought out a new system called Rose, again this used the internet but instead of a dial up connection a broadband connection was used. This enabled orders to be transmitted in real time.
In 2005, Interflora British Unit moved from being a trade association to private equity ownership under investment company, 3i
. The brand was faced with declining sales and difficulty retaining market share within a more competitive market after a number of other well-known High Street names entered the flower delivery sector.
3i sold British Interflora to US-based FTD Group, the successor to Florists' Transworld Delivery, in 2007.
.
Shopper Discounts & Rewards describes itself as "a premier online savings service operated by Webloyalty". However, various sources including the US Senate Commerce Committee
, international newspapers,
financial advice websites and forums
have described its business practices and those of its parent company using terms such as scam, robbery
and theft
.
Floristry
Floristry is the general term used to describe production, commerce and trade in flowers. It encompasses flower care and handling, floral design or flower arranging, merchandising, and display and flower delivery. Wholesale florists sell bulk flowers and related supplies to professionals in the trade...
with a brand under which flowers can be purchased and delivered to 140 countries, most with their own partnership, or unit.
History
Back in 1920 a florist, Joe Dobson, of Leighton's Seedsmen and Florists in GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, and a nurseryman, Carl Englemann in Saffron Walden
Saffron Walden
Saffron Walden is a medium-sized market town in the Uttlesford district of Essex, England. It is located north of Bishop's Stortford, south of Cambridge and approx north of London...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
were looking to increase their business. They knew of the Florists Telegraph Delivery Association (now known as Florists' Transworld Delivery
Florists' Transworld Delivery
-Going public:In 1994, FTD began a process of demutualization.On December 19, 1994, a precursor to the FTD Corporation, a private, for-profit company, acquired FTD, which then divided FTD into two organizations: FTD Incorporated, a for profit corporation, and FTD Association, a non-profit trade...
) which had existed in the US since 1910, and applied to join as foreign members. In 1923 the UK arm of the FTDA was officially formed and had seventeen members across the UK. Back then, one of the straplines used in advertising was Flowers by Wire when the telegraph
Telegraphy
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages via some form of signalling technology. Telegraphy requires messages to be converted to a code which is known to both sender and receiver...
was actually used to communicate between florists. Later, telegrams were sent from member to member requesting deliveries to be made in the recipient florists area. In the original Interflora Directory, used by members, the longest established members could be recognised by their telegraphic address. This would be the only telegraphic address in that city to include the name Interflora. In the case of the founding members, their telegraphic addresses were "Interflora Glasgow" and "Interflora Saffron Walden" respectively.
In 1953 the name changed to Interflora and the slogan Flowers Worldwide along with the now famous Mercury Man roundel became well known. Say it with Flowers became the subsequent and most famous slogan associated with Interflora.
When telegrams became obsolete the most used method for requesting deliveries was by telephone. Following that Interflora brought in messenger1 in the mid to late 80's, this system was very similar to sending a fax. Then in the late 90's messenger2 was introduced. This system used the internet to transmit orders. In the early part of this century Interflora brought out a new system called Rose, again this used the internet but instead of a dial up connection a broadband connection was used. This enabled orders to be transmitted in real time.
In 2005, Interflora British Unit moved from being a trade association to private equity ownership under investment company, 3i
3i
3i Group plc is a multinational private equity and venture capital company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It has offices in 13 countries across Asia, Europe and the Americas and had total assets under management of £12.7 billion as at 31 March 2011...
. The brand was faced with declining sales and difficulty retaining market share within a more competitive market after a number of other well-known High Street names entered the flower delivery sector.
3i sold British Interflora to US-based FTD Group, the successor to Florists' Transworld Delivery, in 2007.
Criticisms
Until January 2011 Interflora worked with the online "Web Loyalty" company Shopper Discounts & RewardsShopper Discounts & Rewards
Shopper Discounts & Rewards is a UK company based in Kent, England. Its parent company Webloyalty is based in the United States.Shopper Discounts & Rewards describes itself as "a premier online savings service operated by webloyalty"...
.
Shopper Discounts & Rewards describes itself as "a premier online savings service operated by Webloyalty". However, various sources including the US Senate Commerce Committee
United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
The United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is a standing committee of the United States Senate in charge of all senate matters related to the following subjects:* Coast Guard* Coastal zone management* Communications...
, international newspapers,
financial advice websites and forums
have described its business practices and those of its parent company using terms such as scam, robbery
Robbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
and theft
Theft
In common usage, theft is the illegal taking of another person's property without that person's permission or consent. The word is also used as an informal shorthand term for some crimes against property, such as burglary, embezzlement, larceny, looting, robbery, shoplifting and fraud...
.
Publications
A book entitled The History of Interflora was written by Geoffrey Lewis in 1977 (Interflora's Jubilee year), also published in 1986 as The Interflora Story 1923-73.Units
- Interflora British Unit (UK) - IBU renounced its co-operative structureDemutualizationDemutualization is the process by which a customer-owned mutual organization or co-operative changes legal form to a joint stock company. It is sometimes called stocking or privatization. As part of the demutualization process, members of a mutual usually receive a "windfall" payout, in the form...
when purchased in 2006 by FTD Group (Interflora's US affiliate) - Fleurop (Europe, main English site)
- Aux Quatre Vents Swiss Florist, Fleurop affiliate
- Interflora Australian Unit
- Hana Cupid (Japan) - Formerly known as Japanese Florists Transworld Delivery (JFTD), until a disagreement was had with FTD in the US, and JFTD disassociated itself from FTD and renamed itself Hana Cupid.
- Interflora Pacific Unit (New Zealand, Hong Kong, China, Brunei, Cambodia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Tonga, Vietnam and Western Samoa) Interflora Pacific Unit is a retailers' co-operative