As an afterthought to the article I posted below about Loren Kreiss, I would like to invite you to visit their website.  The showroom is AMAZING!!! - For the past year we have had the opportunity to decorate and maintain the Manhattan Showroom with "a collection of plants that is as unusual and elegant as the furniture that they accent" - Visit their website, it is great! www.kreiss.com.  Thanks to all and again, Congrats Loren!

One of our favorite clients, Loren Kreiss of The Kreiss Collection makes it into the New York Times with an amazing write up on a fantastic family business.  Read all about Loren and all that he has accomplished.  Click here to view the article.  Loren, we are all very proud of you and wish you amazing success for years to come!

Romantic scented candles from Joya Candles are now available through Starbright.  Amazing floral scents are combined to create a truly unique experience.  More information on these candles will be forthcomming... 

These are the type of stories that seem more and more commonplace in our world these days... A great friend of mine works in Catering Sales at the Grand Hyatt at Grand Central Station.  Well for a very long time now she has not been permitted to use us because of a long standing relationship with an in-house floral supplier.

 

It was 5PM, yesterday, and I got a panicking phone call from my friend who asked if we could have 75 boutonnières ready in a little less than two hours.  Well you can imagine that the reply was "yes, no problem" (obviously, since otherwise this story would be pointless!).  As I was saying "yes" she immediately asked if we could also rush over twelve centerpieces for the same event.  Which we did.

 

I do not know exactly what it is about our team that makes for the capacity to get things like this done (others would have said - "no we need advance notice"), but I like to call it the Magic of Starbright.  There is something about this place and the people who work here.  The positive atmosphere, the support that one gives to another and we make it all work.  You should have seen our staff.  Everyone dropped their tasks and six people gathered around a huddle and in fifteen minutes the job was done. 

 

The icing on the cake came in an email from our old friend and now client the next day... Where she expressed her gratitude and at the same time relayed onto me that everything possible would be done for us to be able to secure this account and to become the in-house supplier to the Grand Hyatt in New York City. 

 

Stories like this take place constantly and we truly live by practicing the rules of great customer service.  Beyond this, there is a greater lesson for all of us to be learned from this experience.  To me, it is the belief that if you always give what you do your best, if you believe in yourself and that things can be done, they get done.  This could be true of our professional as well as our personal lives. 

 

Thank you my dear friend for the wonderful opportunity. 

 

Smiles to all, Nic

During the next four to six weeks we will be preparing our store for the Spring season.  For those of you who have known us and have worked with us in the past, you are aware that our store is one continuous madhouse every weekend once outdoor planting season begins. 

 

We will begin with bulb plants that can be planted outdoors, such as tulips and daffodils... this will be the first sign that Winter is officially over (never mind the calendar, and good riddance to Punxatauny Phil!). Next will come outdoor rose bushes (both low-lying and climbers), outdoor azaleas and much more! 

 

SPECIAL SALE:  Anyone who reads this message on our Blog and brings a printout of this section to our store by Tuesday February 21st (we close at 8PM), you will receive an unbelievable 50% off on all cash and carry sales!  Anything you would like to take with you from our store at half price!  This is a private sale to reward those who read our blog!  We hope to see you soon...

 

Those of you who read it too late, so sorry - but keep checking us out!  We will constantly be announcing in these pages the craziest sales and opportunities that you can imagine! 

 

See you soon!  Nic

Now that Valentine's Day is over, it is time to reflect for just a moment and open an eye towards the future.

 

This was by all accounts a very succesful Valentine's Day for us at Starbright.  There are two standards by which we measure success and determine how we did for the holiday.

 

The first, like any business enterprises, is to look at sales and growth.  This was our twelfth Valentine's Day and we successfully broke all records as our sales were up 25% from the year prior.  This is an important statistic when one considers that we have never had a Valentine'd Day that has had sales that were lower than the year prior (negative growth). 

 

We believe that the second measure that we use to determine a succesful holiday is most responsible for the reaching of our sales goals.  That is that we were able to satisfy all our customers.  A successful day can only be measured against the satisfaction of our customers.  On Valentine's Day we were able to complete all of our deliveries and we kept our promise to all our customers (you won't even believe the horror stories that we hear where other florists are actually so understaffed, under plan and simply do not have the necessary resources to complete the task at hand). 

 

We took our last requested delivery at 10:20 PM on the 14th and we completed our last delivery at 11:40 PM at which time we went home!  The last walk-in customer came to our store at a little after 11PM and he spent $4 for a single rose.  We believe that we were true to our word when we said that "we will do our part to make sure that every sweetheart in America has the most magnificent flowers on this very special day"...

 

We belive that the reason why we increase year after year is because we have a reputation for delivering on our promises, on this our most challenging day.  Not only are we grateful that all our clients came back to us this year for their flowers, but even more so that they invited their friends to join us as part of the Starbright family.  They knew that their friends too would be satisfied and everyone would be happy. 

 

It is because of this reason that we believe that we have already completed the task of marketing for Valentine's Day 2007.  This is a holiday for which we never market, promote or advertise.  We siply rely on the goodwill and loyalty that we have created with our stellar reputation. 

 

We will always keep our promise and we thank you for giving us the opportunity to do so.  We are all grateful to be of service to you, our clients.

 

We are inspired for a fantastic Valentine's Day and we are commited not to refuse any sweetheart!  Tonight brings back memories of the old college days when we were pulling all-nighter's and cramming for the finals!

 

At last count we have 5,000 Black Magic roses in the refrigerator (we started with 25,000).  On top of it all this morning we helped Gucci introduce a new watch by delivering this amazing silver watch set in pink roses and delivered to all the fashion editors of all the major magazines and newspapers in the city. 

 

This evening (Feb 13), we sponsored the Hotel Experience Awards (the Oscars of the Hotel Industry) which are being held at the Marriott Marquis at Times Square.  We are the floral sponsor of this event and we donated 60 centerpieces, corsages for staff and winners and podium / stage decor.

 

On Valentine's Day we are helping to bring out the new brand image for the Westin Hotels at a meeting that is held at the Westin Times Square. 

 

Kiehls USA is having an international training session (one week long) at the Soho Grand Hotel.  We have been hired to stylize their image.  This also starts on Valentine's Day.

 

Happy Valentine's Day to all!

 

 

Although we are expecting a snow storm on Saturday, the first signs of Spring are trying to show through... Lots of traditional springtime flowering plants are starting to arrive!  Yesterday we received miniature rose bushes, cyclamen, azaleas and even flowering cactii!  Stop by and see them - HINT: Go to the "High Value Discounts" section of our website (from the homepage) and print your own discount certificate!

 

SEPERATELY:  One of Starbright's first employees (back in the days when we could not afford a staff) is getting married on Saturday the 11th!  Bridget worked with us as she was interviewing for her first job out of college.  Now she is at Morgan Stanley and an amazing Starbright friend and fan!  We wish her love and hapiness always!

Some of the first signs of springtime arrived in our store this week!  Today we received primroses, azaleas, and miniature rose bushes (indoors).  Our selection is growing by the day - as the spring season of 2006 is almost upon us! 

 

One of our first employess ever (back in the days when Starbright could barely afford staff...), is getting married this Saturday.  All of us are honored that Bridget remembers and loves us as we are doing her flowers on Saturday the 11th!

 

 

A truckload of Godiva Chocolates is arriving this afternoon - in advance for Valentine's Day.  We are also receiving an amazing shipment of plush animals (teddy bears, etc.).

 

On another note:  Check out the section of our website entiteled HIGH VALUE DISCOUNTS.  You will find some amazing offers that you will be able to print and redeem at our store. 

 

The same flowers and design styles that you are accustomed to receiving from us locally for delivery in New York City you can have delivered through us anywhere in the United States.  All our florist/affiliates are selected because they adhere to the same standards of quality and service that we do here in New York City.  We look forward to serving all of your floral and gift-giving requests.