Deliver Extra Convenience to Customers With a Flower Department

Proctor Ace Hardware in Neptune Beach, Florida, offers customers a variety of ways to buy flowers. They can go to the greenhouse and get live plants ready to plant in a garden or flowerpot or head over to the Floral Emporium and have a floral designer arrange cut flowers for a vase. 

Co-owner Steve Proctor says the floral shop pairs well with the hardware store’s lawn and garden department, which includes a nursery and greenhouse. 

The Floral Emporium doesn’t require much floor space, but does have a dedicated floral designer and delivery driver. 

“Our spring selling season usually begins toward the end of February,” Proctor says. “The floral shop gives us a boost in customer traffic around several holidays, like Valentine’s Day.” 

Why do customers often choose Proctor’s flower shop over other options in town? 

“We have a nursery, where our breadth of live plants is many times what a regular florist might have,” Proctor says. “The niche is a great complement to the nursery. We’re also already getting a lot of traffic through the store, so a percentage of those customers will choose us when they buy flowers.”