What inspires you to innovate?

We don’t like to sit still at Floral Interiors so I am continually searching for new styles and ideas.

I love to travel and spend time outdoors and I regularly draw inspiration from nature.  

It’s important to stay ahead of the latest trends so I spend time on social media sites of stylists, designers and florists from all around the world. It’s a matter of seeing things that I like and adapting them for our customers.

Where do you look for trends and inspiration?

There’s a certain feeling you only get when you see new samples of products you have chosen or designed and you instantly fall in love! It’s just something that comes from years of experience, plus there’s a real buzz around the office when the boxes are opened and everyone is excited by our latest range. 

Describe what a typical working day looks like:

  I usually start the day going over emails, often with a tea in one hand and a coffee in the other.

I spend the rest of the morning reviewing new product and planning upcoming launches.

Then it’s a combination of Client appointments, discussions with Agents, and back and forth emails with the numerous factories we purchase from.

Customers love your business because...

Simply put we have the best quality and the most exciting ranges. We also pride ourselves on amazing customer service and quick deliveries.

 
Something we might not know, but will be glad found out about your business:

We are a family run and owned business, which means that each & every customer is important to us.

We’ve got a time-machine, you can go forward, back, or stay in the present – thinking about your time in business, where do you choose to visit and why?    

The future! I’m always looking forward. I can’t wait to see where our business will be in 5 or 10 years’ time, how our ranges will change and grow and if we’ll be expending into new markets and opportunities.

What feedback have you got from your customers on how it is to be in retail right now?  

We all know 2020 was a very tough year for retail, but I think there’s a real optimism in the air right now. It’s an exciting time to be in retail, so many of our customer’s sales are on an upward trajectory. They understand how truly lucky they are to be living in Australia right now with our current economic recovery. One thing COVID-19 and shutdowns have taught our customers is to be innovative and resilient and many have discovered new ways to do business whether it is with online sales or by exploring new ranges. 

What is the beauty of aligning your business with face-to-face trade events like Reed Gift Fairs?  

I love meeting new customers, even though we have a huge presence in the market it still surprises me how many new businesses visit us at a trade fair. It’s gratifying to see how amazed they are by the quality and variety of our range.

Trade fairs are also a great opportunity for many of customers who can’t make it into one of our showrooms, to see our products “in the flesh”. It also confirms the quality of the range so customers can continue to order happily from our website.

What’s one piece of business advice you’d give to yourself 10 years ago?

That warehouse you are about to purchase; you will outgrow very quickly.

Buy something with a lot more space!!!!
 

What do the next 12 months look like for you?

Busy! We now have showrooms located in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and will be opening a new showroom in Brisbane with Luxe Agencies. 

Not to mention a new Agent to service our New South Wales clients, we will have better representation than ever before. 

We will continue to source new products, focus on our marketing and provide the best customer service in the industry.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt over the years? (Ideally, this may have come from a mistake you’d be open to share more about) 
 
When it comes to business the biggest lesson I have learnt is to trust my instincts and to back myself. Last year in particular was very stressful. Everything slowed down substantially in April and like everyone else we were worried about the future. As soon as I saw some positive signs we decided to take a risk and continue to bring shipments in, meaning we had plenty of stock available in the lead up to Christmas which led to a huge jump in sales as retail throughout Australia began to recover.

Share with us the bestselling products we need to know about

Our Fresh Touch Flower Stems - they both look and feel incredibly real and make the ideal product for events & weddings!

 
What product/range are you personally most excited about right now?

Our Pot & Planter collections – with so many textures, colours and styles, there is something for every interior!

 
Can you tell us your secret to keeping your customers returning for more? 
There are three main reasons our customers keep coming back;

1.       We pride ourselves on sourcing the best quality products.

2.       We have the widest range.

3.       Our service is the most efficient in the industry.