4 min readMany florists put it in no uncertain terms: “Should we take on another person or buy a vending machine?”. This is a common cognitive bias.
Comparing a florist to Bouqetmat is like comparing two completely different business tools. It’s a bit like this dilemma: “Should I invest in a display counter or a payment terminal?”. Both elements fulfil different functions in a florist’s shop, meet different customer needs and complement one another.
The role of a florist: building value and relationships
No technology can replace the craftsmanship of a florist. The role of staff in a florist’s shop centres on areas that require empathy, knowledge and advice:
- Advice and personalisation: Assistance with choosing flowers for wedding ceremonies, funerals or special anniversaries. The customer expects an arrangement tailored to their individual preferences.
- Maximising the shopping basket (up-selling): An experienced florist can suggest additional items, offer a more exclusive selection of plants or choose a suitable vase, which directly increases the unit margin.
- Building loyalty: The relationship with the customer, a smile and the styling create brand loyalty.
The employee optimises the transaction value. It enhances the quality and profit margin of an order by dedicating time to refining the details.
The role of Bouqetmat: availability and logistical optimisation
Bouqetmat carries out a completely different set of business tasks, tackling problems that a traditional high-street shop cannot cope with:
- 24/7 impulse buying: Sales in the middle of the night, at dawn, on non-trading Sundays or public holidays – at times when the physical shop is closed.
- Reducing queues at peak times: On Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day, the workshop is inundated with orders. The vending machine relieves the team of the need to serve customers looking for ready-made, standard solutions straight away.
- Exhibition without additional working hours: The unit becomes a self-contained, refrigerated display cabinet that operates without the need to pay for night or public holiday shifts.
Bouqetmat optimises sales volume. It enables florists to capitalise on market opportunities that were previously unavailable to high-street florists.
Three different buyer segments
Each solution is aimed at a different type of customer:
Customer segment | The main need | The best tool |
Premium / Occasional customer | Personalised arrangement, florist’s advice, colour scheme selection | Florist on the premises |
A pragmatic / hurried customer | A ready-made bouquet ‘on the spot’, no queues, a smooth purchasing process | A Bouqetmat or a fast-checkout area in the shop |
Night-time / out-of-hours customer | Instant purchase outside standard opening hours | Bouqetmat 24/7 |
Synergy rather than cannibalisation: a practical example
Let’s imagine a Friday afternoon just before a major public holiday.
- Scenario without an automatic machine: A florist is working on a complex wedding arrangement. Several people enter the shop looking for simple bouquets for special occasions. Due to the long waiting time, some of them decide not to buy anything and leave. This results in a loss of revenue.
- A scenario involving Bouqetmat: The team fulfils demanding, high-margin orders in the back of the shop, whilst customers looking for a quick purchase choose ready-made arrangements from the vending machine outside.
In a properly planned business model, staff and technology do not compete with one another – they generate profit from two different sources.
How should investment priorities be set?
Instead of deciding: “one or the other”, it is worth identifying the current bottleneck in your own business:
- When there aren’t enough staff to handle complex floristry projects during the day: The natural choice is to strengthen the studio’s team.
- When the florist’s shop is not operating to its full potential at weekends and in the evenings, whilst the premises experience high footfall: The solution is to launch a 24/7 automated sales system.
- When, at peak times, the team can’t keep up with releasing simple compositions: The machine acts as a buffer, easing the logistical burden on the workshop.
The florist builds trust in the brand and increases the average basket value, whilst Bouqetmats ensure a steady turnover whilst the doors of a traditional florist’s remain closed. Scaling the business involves skilfully combining craftsmanship with sales automation.
