MIAMI, Sept. 17, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For several years, Heinau Flowers was seen but no one knew who they were. They served as an incredible 'behind-the-scenes' purveyor of floral arrangements for several high-end facilities throughout South Florida; the facilities included resorts, cruise ships, office towers, and bank branches.
But these were not just any flowers; these were custom designed arrangements that lasted a minimum of 6 months and never required watering. The only maintenance required was the occasional repair of damages caused by passersby. These arrangements, made of roses, hydrangeas, or orchids, became popular for those 'in the know.' Heinau's floral designs were more interesting than those traditionally found in say, a hotel lobby, but allowed facility managers to display real flowers for a dramatically lower cost.
Then the company began receiving inquiries from guests at the hotels, looking for arrangements for their own homes and offices. This demand lead to the development of Blooms By Heinau, a line of select products created for consumers requesting arrangements be produced and shipped on demand.
Sometime after the inception of Blooms By Heinau, an arrangement made it to Bobbie Thomas of NBC's Today Show. Ms Thomas was so excited about the flowers-- and the fact that they still looked fresh after several years-- she featured them on the Today Show just before Valentine's Day in 2014.
As you might expect, the spotlight increased traffic to the eCommerce site nearly 100 fold. In fact, the site crashed. Phones rang off the hook. Supply could not meet demand. The Polar Vortex that winter also complicated distribution. Flowers were stuck in trucks for days awaiting delivery - many times destroying arrangements and creating frustrated customers. The farms struggled to produce the crops Heinau needed for the arrangements. The flower shortage not only affected first time order production, but also replacing those arrangements destroyed by cold.
Literally overnight, Heinau Flowers was transformed from a simple artist's studio to a high volume design and arrangement studio. In order to meet the growing need, Heinau increased their staff significantly, redeveloped the website to handle the increased retail traffic, altered shipping methods to protect the arrangements during delivery, and embraced new technologies. And the result? Customers were extremely satisfied with the product and service they received.
The improved supply chain management was tested in August 2014 when Blooms By Heinau was featured on CBS's The Talk and passed with flying colors. The company has also launched both an affiliate marketing program as well as a corporate gifts program. The corporate gifts program allows companies to register for volume discounts for internal gifts, employee benefits, or for account executives who send gifts to clients, prospects, or vendors.
Sales for 2014 are already nearly double those of last year and the company is just preparing to enter retail's busiest months. An interesting brand, an exciting story, and a beautiful product. Visit www.HeinauFlowers.com or www.BloomsByHeinau.com to learn more about the featured companies.