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Jun, 01 2005

Ferns ‘N’ Petals: Flourishing business, flowering profits

With 36 outlets of their own Ferns ‘N’ Petals plans to have 150 franchisees by March 2007. It is the only franchise available in retail industry where one can generate huge profits with little investment

Ferns 'N' Petals, a name synonymous with flowers and freshness, weddings and happiness, started its journey in 1994 with a single outlet. The objective was to provide Indian consumers with high quality domestic and imported exotic flowers at par with global standards. The group has introduced a whole new flower buying experience, which caters to needs of all generations, who were starved of this experience earlier, regardless of the price barrier as they have something or the other for every consumer bracket.

Contrary to the belief, you just need to make the effort of entering into the aesthetically designed air conditioned floral boutiques, and one realizes that they are not only cost effective but also extremely competitive and have a product offering for all budget ranges.

The group imports exotic flowers and is one of the first companies to introduce them in India. They import flowers and foliage from Austria, Holland, Thailand, Nepal, South Africa, Australia and Sri Lanka. They are also one of the first companies to capitalise on the internet boom.

The group started with just one outlet and gradually added more on its way to expansion. The expansion process at that time looked like a snails pace but the group did not get caught in the classical trap of opening too many too soon, or as the old adage goes BITING MORE THAN ONE CAN CHEW.

The first few years of the journey saw the, than fledgeling group, tread a cautious path , so as to avoid the mistakes usually done in a hurry curry manner. After a thorough study and research of the market trends and the consumer behaviour, Ferns 'N' Petals was all geared to scale greater heights.

It was in the financial year 1999 - 2000 that the group ventured into franchising and with the foundations getting stronger, the outlets slowly but steadily kept increasing with each passing year. It was in the year 2004 - 2005 that the group saw a sea change in the expansion process and added 14 new franchise outlets. Six more locations have been finalised and will be opening in the first quarter of the next financial year 2005 - 2006.

When the concept was started no one could have imagined that over the years it would become a brand name to reckon with. Today, boasting of 36 outlets nationwide, Ferns 'N' Petals has revolutionised the concept of franchising in the field of flower retailing, and is one of the biggest players globally.

In addition to 36 outlets of their own the group has a network of 65 strategic alliances in India for national deliveries and 156 vendor partners outside of India for global deliveries. That is one of the reasons why boundaries have never been a barrier for Ferns 'N' Petals.

Besides fresh flowers, which is the forte of the group, requirements for a complete gifting solution are available under one roof. They have a whole range of products available in their outlets, in terms of Artificial, Silk & Dry Flowers, Potpourris, Candles, Scented Candles, Candle Stands, Imported Italian Glass Vases, Wooden Gift Accessories with intricate carving, Photo-Frames, Miniature Exportable Gift Items, Fragrance Items based on Aromatherapy , Glass Vases, Incense Sticks, Pebbles, Coloured Sand, Gels, Crystals etc.

The merchandise kept in the stores is sourced from across the globe, wherein teams are sent regularly throughout the year to various parts of the globe to identify the uniquest of products and are offered at the most competitive prices at all their outlets.

Ferns 'N' Petals received two awards at the Franchise Awards'03 for excellence in franchising and business development in the Retail Florist category and Customer service category. They received award for excellence in franchising, licensing and business development in the category of Retail Speciality at the Franchise Awards'04.

All outlets are designed in a similar pattern, so as to recreate a universal ambience at all outlets regardless of the location, which is soothing to the customers and enhances the sheer joy of shopping.

Their consistent endeavour to give satisfaction to their customers springs from their earnest commitment to their core value of 100 per cent value-for-money to customers which includes delivering them cost-effective and quality products, impeccable service (before and after sales) and convenience.

Ferns 'N' Petals has always believed in the policy of catering to the market and they keep conducting research at regular intervals to feel the pulse of the market. It's a human tendency to want more and it is human only to believe in “Normal is boring” so this well said proverb keeps them always on their toes and hunt for more.

At Ferns 'N' Petals, each customer is attended in a personalised manner, and all their needs are catered to with the minutest of details, and whenever they buy it is a unique experience each time.

The group believes that flowers alone do not add to the beauty of a bouquet but the way they are arranged is equally important. Their team of floral design specialists breathes life into any arrangement using a variety of flowers, foliage, fabric and other accessories.

The group takes pride in associating themselves with the right breed of entrepreneurs to take the franchising initiative forward, because in this field more than the product line it is the emotions, feelings and sentiments of the clients that are involved. The group ensures the success of the outlet by choosing not only the right franchisees but also a stringent process of sight approvals, depending on the accessibility, visibility and financial feasibility of the location.

Florists across the country are trying to replicate the décor and the interiors of the Ferns 'N' Petals outlets but unfortunately are no way close to replicating the ambience, the service and the quality that is offered at Ferns 'N' Petals outlets.

One of the reasons for the runaway success of the group has been the emphasis that is laid on the training process, to the team members of the group and all the franchisees. The training process involves flower management, pricing and costing of products, cost control, customer dealing, corporate marketing, economics of the business, sales and marketing, POS & credit card training, E-commerce training among other aspects of the flower trade.

All the requisite manpower in terms of the floral designers in all the outlets nationwide mandatorily is provided by the Group only, as they form the backbone of the operations, The group as a policy keeps training this manpower rigorously to meet the Ferns 'N' Petals standards and the franchisees cannot employ floral designers on their own.

The group keeps inviting flower experts from across the globe on regular intervals, for training sessions and their franchisees and floral designers are called for these sessions from across the country. In the last financial year 2004 - 2005, they had invited Mr Poo from Thailand and Ms Cynthia Scott from England, floral designers of international repute, who took workshops on the various new techniques and current trends prevalent in the international market.

Marriages are made in heaven but celebrated on earth. Yes, we are all not only familiar with this age-old saying but also rightfully believe in celebrating this once-in-a lifetime occasion to our very best. Enter Ferns 'N' Petals, the country's only professionally managed comprehensive wedding décor company on such a gigantic scale.

Ferns 'N' Petals offers one-stop-solutions for all wedding related services ranging from designing and printing invitation cards, trousseau and gift packing, ceremonial ritual intricacies including mehndi, choora and others; theme parties, event co-ordination, venue arrangement; catering; music and entertainment, be it the DJ, fireworks, bartenders, choreography, participant management, hospitality and theme décor, which respond to the client's tastes and needs and of course goes without saying complete floral decorations.

Ferns 'N' Petals devotes minute attention to planning the décor at each wedding to give a different look to a wedding and translating it into an enjoyable, memorable and personal experience. When it comes to décor, no detail is viewed as 'too small'. The aim is to give each wedding the stamp of the client's individuality and for that, the Ferns 'N' Petals team works with enthusiastic creative energy, to execute the client's dream. The décor theme range, extends to include Gujarati, Marwari, Punjabi, Rajasthani, Roman, Italian, Egyptian, Carribean and English, just to name a few.

Till recently, weddings had always been a traditional family affair. However, with time came the era of pronounced chic. Personal style & statements became integral to every individual's status & lifestyle. Today, weddings apart from following the traditional norms, are celebrated on such a large scale, that the event not only becomes memorable for the bride and the groom but also for all those sharing their joyous moments with them.

Ferns 'N' Petals has made it virtually possible for the hosts to walk in as guests at their own functions. Ferns 'N' Petals is the only organisation that goes completely into the line of business and has the expertise to manage all aspects of the wedding functions, right from conceptualisation to the final outcome.

The themes may span from being purely floral for low budgets to havelis, mughal palaces and even drapes with ethnic fabric like Zardosi, Brocade or Jamawar for relaxed budgets.

Whether you want to have your wedding in your city or planning to have a destination wedding, you can count on them completely, for selecting the venue. They enjoy a special relationship with all the leading hotels and resorts in and outside India. They are well acquainted with all the heritage properties of the country, in case you fancy a royal wedding for yourself.

The client list of Ferns 'N' Petals, includes individual High Net Worth Clients, Industrialists, Politicians, Bureaucrats, Corporate Honchos, Sports Celebrities, Filmstars etc who frequently rely on their services, to value add to an occasion of significance.

After a decade long innings in the floral arena the group is all set to go international, by opening outlets outside India, and is starting a new chapter by opening its doors to the huge wedding industry by offering wedding franchises. Ferns 'N' Petals is very bullish for the coming years and has a business plan in place to touch a figure of 100 franchisees by March 2006 closing and by March 2007, have a franchisee count of 150. The wedding franchise that they are pioneering has had a good respone and already five new wedding franchisees have been finalised. 'Ferns 'N' Petals' is one of the only franchise offering available in the retail industry today where one can generate such huge profits, with so little investment.

It would not be wrong to say that The FLORAL SAGA has not ended. As a matter of fact, the journey has just begun …….

Welcome to Ferns 'N' Petals.

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