The Knowledge

An inside look at what goes on within supermarket flower departments.   Year-round consistency is critical When designing floral products for supermarkets, every bouquet within a particular price point must appear consistent in value for money, throughout the year. This means that every stem has to be researched carefully. If thousands of bouquets are dependent on a specific kind of Germini, we need to make sure that enough will be grown, which in turn means the grower has to schedule it into their programme for the following year. This involves lots of calendars and Excel spreadsheets! Each bouquet design will...

With a background in both creative floristry and supermarket product design, Helen Chambers has played for rival teams within the flower sector. In this two-part feature, she shares behind-the-scenes insights into the world of large-scale product development, and offers practical, takeaway advice for flower businesses of all kind. About Helen Chambers, Evolve Flowers Helen’s career began with traditional floristry training, but took a swerve when she started working for a company that developed sundries products. She was later offered a role as product developer for a Dutch flower supplier, designing bouquets for the likes of Shell and BP. She admits, “I...