"Online Flower Shops" is the topic for my evaluation.  I have been a
professional floral  designer for many years, and decided to look at what
was available online for consumers.  I used YAHOO search engine with the
keywords "flower shops" to find my selections.  I chose a few retail
flower shops, a network with no retail space, and a flower
grower/distributor to examine.  My experience in this business makes me a
good judge of topics such as information available to consumers, diversity
of styles and prices, professional affiliations, customer service, and
creative ideas.
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1. Gerald Stevens, Inc.
http://www.geraldstevens.com (7 Mar. 2001).
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Gerald Stevens is the most comprehensive site I examined.   Since 1998 the
Ft. Lauderdale, FL based company has built their own network of retail
florists and accredited wire services.  The site provides links to each
along with their NASDAQ location, address and toll free number.  The
overall layout of the site is attractive and downloads quickly.  Floral
selections are categorized with each arrangement titled and described,
along with a search engine for category and price if needed.  Each
selection has three ranges of upgrades with available photos for
clarification.  Price ranges are competitive and design styles are
standard.  I liked the Floral Library, which provided a flower search by
name, fragrance, and color, flower descriptions, care, and meanings.  The
site also provides a list of Floral Events throughout the country,
although the dates were from last year.  The Fun & Facts tab gave
consumers floral projects with step-by-step instructions and photos.
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2. Viviano Flower Shop, Inc.
http://www.viviano.com (7 Mar. 2001).
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Viviano Flower Shop is a family owned chain of flower shops and
greenhouses based in Detroit, Mi since 1937.  The company delivers their
own products throughout Michigan, and uses wire services such as FTD for
other orders.  Their website is easy to navigate, downloads quickly, has
photos of products, a search engine, employment opportunities, and
contests.  The product selections were tasteful and realistically priced,
although delivery prices were hard to locate.  A username and password are
provided for repeat customers and special features and accommodations are
available.  The site provides information on flower care, weddings,
special events, and delivery inquiries.  Customers can use email to
contact the company or an 800 number for further assistance.
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3. @ Flower Delivery Shop
http://www.flowerdeliveryshop.com (7 Mar. 2001).
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@ Flower Delivery Shop is a confusing site.  The @ in the name looks as
though they are web savvy but when you click on the site you find text
groupings of marketing slogans with no photos.  The links on the left are
unavailable, and navigation is found at the very bottom of the page.  The
bottom links take you to Florists National Delivery by FLOWERS ETC, which
is a family owned flower shop based in Tallahassee, FL since 1986.  From
this site the format is similar to the other online shops, with search
categories, flower facts, customer service, and wire service
locations.  The flower selections were extensive and gave a variety of
prices ranges, but the photos took time to download.  Delivery prices are
expensive, from $14.95-$24.95.
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4. Americas Flower Shops, Inc.
http://www.americasflowershops.com (7 Mar. 2001).
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Americas Flower Shops is a floral network that takes and sends orders
without a retail location.  The company provides an email address, 800
number, and online live message center, yet I could not find an address
for this business.  The home page was busy, with flashing icons, category
links, and special promotions, which reinforces the marketing strategies
of a phone sales company with no personal interaction.  The download time
was good and the flower selections were competitively priced.  There was
no information provided on flower care or symbolic meanings, which also
shows that the company wants to sell flowers without the emotions equated
with such a purchase.  
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5. Fresh Flower Source, Inc.
http://www.freshflowersource.com/ffs/ (7 Mar. 2001).
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