Today, flower sales are blooming again. Though numbers dipped briefly during the pandemic as flower supply chains were paused, the market for cut flowers is now expected to reach $43.8 billion globally by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 5.2% between 2020-2027. With this in mind, one way flower retailers are looking to grow their businesses this year is working with a local delivery partner. Over the past couple of years, customers have enjoyed getting food, goods, and other items delivered on demand — now, why not plants?
A flower delivery partner like DoorDash can help you connect with local customers looking for same-day flower delivery, while also differentiating your unique brand and offerings. It’s a great way to grow your profit margins without changing your everyday operations — enabling you to focus on what you do best, whether that’s creating stunning floral arrangements, advising customers on the best plants for their homes, or sourcing and selling quality supplies.
Curious how DoorDash works for flower delivery? In this article, we’ll walk through the process, step by step.
Want to take a deeper dive into the full DoorDash product suite for flower shops?
Download the free 2022 Product Guide for Flower Shops to learn more about:
- Reaching new customers on the DoorDash app
- Using your own drivers or Dashers
- Marketing your store with Promotions
- Accessing analytics and insights
How do customers find my business?
Learn how customers can discover your business and offerings online, through DoorDash and your own website.
Set up your DoorDash business page
Once you’ve signed up with DoorDash, customers can find your business by searching for local flower delivery on the DoorDash app or website. As a DoorDash partner, you’ll get your own page on the DoorDash app where you can feature your brand and provide details on items for sale. You always have full control over your listing, including items for sale, prices, delivery hours, and more.
Perfect your product photos
To showcase your offerings in their best light and encourage customers to make an order, we recommend uploading high quality photos of your beautiful flower arrangements. DoorDash offers free Snappr photo editing services for plant and flower retailers so you can easily turn any portrait-oriented photos into the landscape-orientation that’s ideal for our platform. (Already a DoorDash partner? You can access these services by submitting a ticket through the Merchant Portal or reaching out to the Merchant support team via email.)
Don’t have photos of your own? We also offer free Snappr photoshoots for our flower and plant retailers. Reach out to your DoorDash Merchant Experience Partner (MXP) at mxpsupport@doordash.com for more information about how to schedule a shoot to receive ten professional-quality photos of your retail items.
Drive traffic from existing channels
Do you currently have a website or social media channels? Since customers might find you through your own pages, you’ll want to make sure to optimize your content for search terms like “flower delivery near me,” “online flower delivery,” “same-day flower delivery,” and “flower delivery today.”
Additionally, don’t forget to highlight a link to your DoorDash page so customers can easily make flower orders on the spot.
How does DoorDash work for flower delivery?
Ready to offer flower delivery today? Learn how DoorDash works for flower, plant, and garden retailers in a few easy steps.
1. Customers place an order through the DoorDash app or website
Customers can browse your offerings on the DoorDash app and select items for purchase. Once the customer submits an order, they pay for it right in the app. With flower and gift orders on DoorDash, customers can also schedule deliveries up to two weeks in advance, helping your business plan ahead.
2. Accept orders and set a prep time
Next, you’ll receive an order notification through your choice of a tablet or point of sale:
Tablet: Businesses with an Android tablet can use the Order Manager app, our all-in-one tool for receiving, organizing, and tracking pickup and delivery orders. You can use any Android tablet or rent a tablet from DoorDash for $6 a week, which covers device insurance and cell service.
POS: DoorDash has integrations with several leading technology solutions, including Square, Redcat, Deliverect, and more. Learn more about integrations here.
Businesses can also download the Business Manager app to track orders and sales from a mobile device.
With a tablet, a blue screen will appear letting you know how many orders need attention. Touch the screen to view the order and identify any issues.
DoorDash will prompt a suggested prep time to save time, but you can easily enter a manual prep time instead. To confirm the order, click “Confirm” at the bottom of the screen, which will share an estimated delivery time with the customer.
3. Package items for delivery or pickup
Next, prepare the items from the order to handoff for delivery or customer pickup. You can use the Order Manager app or the Business Manager app to track a Dasher’s progress, and communicate with them along the way.
Once an order is complete, mark it complete in the app.
4. Get order insights
With the Order Manager app or the Business Manager app, you can easily view key data points like net sales, average order size, unique customers, and most popular items to gain insights into how your business is performing, helping you plan ahead and develop a strategy to grow your business even more.
Tips for success
Ready to offer the best flower delivery your customers could ask for? Here are a few tips to keep your operations running smoothly from start to finish.
Have more questions about flower delivery?
Download the free 2022 Product Guide for Flower Shops to learn the ins and outs of local flower and plant delivery with DoorDash.
Partnering with Dashers
Once a flower order is ready to be delivered, select a spot in your shop where Dashers can quickly pick up orders without disrupting operations. Clear signage can help Dashers get in and out quickly.
Additionally, make sure to package plants and other retail items securely. Whether the order is being delivered to a customer or getting prepped for pickup, a little bit of time spent securing it for transit can go a long way in ensuring a good customer experience.
Make the most of marketing tools
To supplement your own marketing efforts, DoorDash offers built-in marketing tools like First Order, Free Delivery and $5 Off Next Order to help your products get in front of the right customers and incentivize new and repeat orders on our platform.
Bilal Sabusa, owner of The Flower Shop in Atlanta, Georgia, is a big fan. “I love those promos. They help get the message out about our local business, and all of the great products we have,” he explained. Bilal has seen a profit margin increase of 10% since partnering with DoorDash, which he uses alongside his own delivery fleet. Read more about his experience with DoorDash for flower delivery.
Additionally, flower and plant retailers can also opt in to DashPass, DoorDash’s membership program for high-value customers. With DashPass, customers see your business first and pay lower fees when they order from you — at no added cost to you. Because DashPass customers order more often, you’re likely to get more orders and more repeat customers.
Get ready for the busy season
With a big flower holiday usually on the horizon, it’s never a bad time to plan for your next busy season. Whether that’s preparing for the Valentine’s Day flower delivery rush, Mother’s Day, or Thanksgiving and Christmas, being ready to hire an additional set of hands or having bouquets on backup can help ensure you’re prepared for a flood of incoming orders.
Additionally, having your business on DoorDash is a great way to connect with customers that need flowers fast for personal gifting moments like birthdays, anniversaries, bridal showers, thank you’s, and engagements. They may plan ahead, or need flowers at a moment’s notice. Don’t forget to keep an eye on the latest flower industry trends so that you can stay ahead of the curve — and anticipate what customers will want before they know it themselves!
Sign up for flower delivery with DoorDash
As a business owner, you don’t need to completely change your operations to add flower delivery to the list of services you offer. Partnering with DoorDash for your on-demand delivery needs can help you grow incremental sales while keeping your main focus on what you love best — whether that’s crafting an elegant bouquet, or advising customers on other plant-related matters. Partner with DoorDash for flower delivery and see what we can grow together.
