DOWNERS GROVE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--For the millions of people who celebrate Valentine’s Day, finding the perfect gift to express romance, affection or even life-long friendship can be a challenge. Flowers, jewelry, chocolates – there are so many possibilities. FTD, however, makes it easier this year with a redesigned FTD.com website that organizes the site’s many gift options into easy-to-navigate pages called “Gift Shops.”
The new FTD Gift Shops are a showcase of gifts, preselected by FTD’s gift experts to satisfy any shopper’s Valentine’s Day needs. Gifts range from assortments of the freshest flowers hand-picked from around the world, to fine jewelry, to exquisite Baccarat® crystal vases. Customers can also choose from charming teddy bears from Build-A-Bear Workshop®, and gourmet premium gift baskets featuring chocolates from Godiva®, Champagne from Dom Perignon®, coffee from Starbucks® and gourmet food and wine from Coppola®.
A tab for each Gift Shop is displayed across the top of FTD.com. Clicking on the tab takes the customer directly to that Shop.
“Flowers are an integral part of Valentine’s Day, but in addition to our floral arrangements, FTD carries an incredibly large and diverse range of gift options to help celebrate the holiday,” said Rob Apatoff, president of FTD. “Our new FTD Shop tabs allow our customers to shop quickly and easily across popular gift categories and find exactly what they’re looking for.”
The seven new FTD Gift Shops – five of which offer non-floral products – include:
- Jewelry Shop: Stunning pieces for both men and women including earrings, pendants, necklaces and the FTD Floral Jewels Birthstone Collection.
- Luxury Collection Shop: Statement pieces include five-foot roses, Baccarat® crystal and exclusive Vera Wang arrangements.
- Sweet Shop: An assortment of cookies, birthday cakes and decadent treats covered in chocolate from the confectioners at Ghiradelli®, Godiva®, Eli’s Cheesecake®, Lindt® and more.
- Flower & Gift Shop: Features the “All Valentine’s Day” shop which includes everything from classics like a dozen red roses to more unique gifts like fresh water pearls and Keepsake Roses™ that last up to three years.
- Gift Basket Shop: Gift baskets filled with premium, popular brands like Mrs. Fields®, and Starbucks® as well as gourmet food and wine sets from Coppola®.
- Plant Shop: Bright blooms hand-designed by experts for year-round beauty. Special FTD partner collections include the Smithsonian® and Better Homes and Gardens®.
- College Rose Shop: FTD’s arrangements of bi-colored roses in the official school colors of universities across the country, as well as fan fare including ties, necklaces, fleece throws and snacks.
“Valentine’s Day is about celebrating romance, love, and friendship, and the team at FTD recommends making it a truly special occasion by buying your gifts early and creating a special week-long celebration,” said Michael Skaff, FTD’s head of floral design. “Our customers want their loved ones to feel that they’ve put genuine thought into what they’re giving. It’s more than a gift – we aim to help create an entire Valentine’s experience.”
FTD design expert Michael Skaff also offers the following tips for celebrating Valentine’s Day this year:
A rose is not just a rose
With over 15,000 species of roses in the world, no two roses are exactly alike. Pay close attention to the petal count, length of stem, and the size of the rose’s head for an idea of its quality. Also, color plays an important role is expressing feelings. Buying a yellow rose, which represents friendship, may not send the same message to a significant other as a red rose, which represents love.
Attention: special delivery
Surprising a loved one or friend with a Valentine’s gift at the office can be unexpected and fun. Flowers brighten up a work space and co-workers can share chocolates and other edible treats.
Celebrate Valentine’s “Week”
Since Valentine’s Day falls on a Thursday this year, it provides an opportunity for a week-long celebration. Consider having flowers delivered on Monday to start the week, and follow up with small gifts each day such as a hand-written card or sweets. This leaves Thursday, February 14 free to enjoy a special outing or even a relaxing night in with a home-cooked meal.
It’s not all about the lovebirds
Although romance plays a big part in Valentine’s Day, it’s more about celebrating the people who matter most in life – friends, family or even co-workers. There are plenty of non-romantic ways to show appreciation, like a spa day, seeing a show, going on a hike or creating a photo album.
For more information about FTD’s Valentine’s Day products and to experience the new FTD Shops, please visit FTD.com.
About FTD®
FTD Group, Inc., through its operating subsidiaries including FTD.COM Inc., is a leading provider of floral related products and services to consumers and retail florists, as well as to other retail locations offering floral products, in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and the Republic of Ireland. The business utilizes the highly recognized FTD and Interflora brands, both supported by the Mercury Man logo, which is displayed in approximately 40,000 floral shops worldwide. The consumer businesses operate primarily through the www.ftd.com Web site in the U.S. and www.ftd.ca in Canada, and the www.interflora.co.uk Web site in the U.K. and are complemented by the florist businesses which provide products and services to FTD's independent members. FTD Group, Inc. is a subsidiary of United Online, Inc. (Nasdaq: UNTD). For more information about United Online, please visit www.unitedonline.com.
Cautionary Information Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the implementation of the new FTD Shops, including, without limitation, management's expectations regarding the planned service offerings, features and marketing strategies. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future events, performance or results and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual events, performance and results to differ materially from those described in this release. Potential factors that could adversely affect FTD's ability to perform as anticipated and, consequently, adversely affect the business, financial condition and results of operations of United Online, Inc. and its FTD segment include, without limitation, that the implementation of the marketing initiatives, features and services may not be accepted or commercially successful; FTD’s inability or failure to satisfy demand for the products or services offered or to achieve expanded marketing opportunities, efficiencies and other benefits associated with the products and services; changes in consumer demand, tastes and preferences, or that consumers might not utilize the services as expected; failures, interruptions, delays, technological issues, expenses or other problems associated with FTD.com’s website or other products or services of FTD or its affiliates or its third-party suppliers or their systems, products or services; changes to pricing, marketing strategies or the business model; that the anticipated benefits to the FTD segment and United Online, Inc. might not be realized; unanticipated events and circumstances occurring after the date hereof; and other factors that may cause actual events, performance and results to differ materially from those predicted as described in United Online, Inc.'s annual and quarterly reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (http://www.sec.gov), including, without limitation, information under the captions "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and "Risk Factors."