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Bloom & Wild are the biggest e-commerce flowers brand in Europe, delivering beautiful flowers through the letterbox. After huge success online, in 2019 they started their retail business through a partnership with Ocado, and then in 2020 they launched their first in-store concessions with Sainsburys in 25 stores as a trial.
“I think we were a little naive – we assumed our buying team would have complete control to execute in-store the way we had planned. In reality, this sits with the store operations teams who have thousands of products to think about and are KPId on very different things to the buying teams. As a result, the fixtures weren’t always looking as we wanted them to, and some elements of the POS hadn’t even made it to the shop floor from the backroom. Because we weren’t accredited, it was really hard for us to get instore colleagues to work with us putting things right.”
“The whole purpose of this to our business was incredible brand awareness at the front of the store. The stores would act as billboards for us, delivering direct revenue as well as giving a halo effect to our ecommerce platform. However, if we were not showcasing our brand in the best possible way, it has entirely the opposite effect – it was something we had to solve quite urgently.”
The retail team at Bloom & Wild turned to us to help them solve this problem. They carefully walked us through their needs and we recommended they onboard an always-on field merchandising team. They would have to have the Sainsbury’s accreditation to go into store but they could then go in regularly to ensure the fixture looked beautiful.
We put them in touch with our Specialist Services team who have worked with dozens of agencies across the industry. They could advise on the right specialist for the need and use our connections and scale to deliver a discounted price that the Bloom & Wild team could not access. We would then support them in briefing and navigating the new partnership.
“We trusted you to help. I have personally done courses that you run, met your network and I know you totally understand us. Given that we had no knowledge or expertise, it really felt like you guys knew what you were doing. Even though the service came at a premium price, the only thing that mattered to us was the ROI and we have no doubt that this was higher with you than alternatives which is why we are still working together today.”
Within a matter of days, Bloom & Wild had field representatives in-store making interventions on the stand. They established a weekly visit cadence with monthly reporting and meetings. The Bloom & Wild team would then use these reports to navigate conversations with the buyer to effect positive lasting change.
The partnership has now been live for almost a year. Bloom & Wild are experiencing sales at 2x forecast since solving this problem on an ongoing basis, and as a result their store numbers have increased 400% with more to come. They can enjoy peace of mind that each week, someone is making sure the brand is being represented well in the store environment.
“There is just no way we would have been able to do this without you. To know we have a monthly 45minute check-in and get so much information to take back to our contact at JS makes a massive, massive difference. The impact this has had on the business and my job day-to-day is unquestionable.”
The YF team attends meetings and advises the Bloom & Wild team and the agency team as a trusted specialist – but the credit for success here really sits with the brand’s retail team for its proactive management and investment into the Sainsbury’s account.
“We would not have this growth without this partnership being in place - it’s as plain as that.”
“I would not hesitate to recommend this service because it gives you peace of mind. We understand that store colleagues operate with their own priorities and feel so reassured using this service - I have confidence that at least once per week that I have someone on our side who can go in and sort any issues out. Ahead of big occasions like Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day we can put on extra visits and do even more - the flexibility to dial up and dial down is so important.
Our experience with YF has been really really positive. They found us a brilliant specialist quickly and we have always had a contact that we can call for anything. That being said, honestly, we just haven’t needed to because the service has been fantastic - we haven’t had a single issue in almost a year of working together.”
“This is a fantastic example of the power of the YF ecosystem and partners network. With a strong history of working with Bloom & Wild, they came to us for advice to solve a problem in their retail business. Within days, we had solved their problem while also sharing new business with a partner we really respect. We love working with a business with such an astute understanding of ROI - they have proven that investing in retail will pay itself back many times over when done right.”
2 Things Olivia Learnt
1. Do not assume the rollout will be perfect. Have backup plans and contingencies because the store teams will never look at your brand the way you do – they have far too many other critical things to think about. If it matters to you, invest to do it in-house and ensure the execution that you need
2. Know your metrics. Understand what you are trying to optimise for and the metrics that matter to you. For us store compliance is less important that how the physical product is looking. Ask your partners to report back on what you care about to get the most from the service and the maximum ROI.
Use our search tool or contact us to find the right partner for your business need. Our team will advise you to make the most of your investment.
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