FTD, the premier floral and gifting company, is committed to sustainability both in their own business and in their network of FTD member florists. Their internal commitment was recently re-enforced when the company made an industry changing decision to eliminate the paper FTD Membership Directory, a large paper directory of all their members which has been used for decades. FTD realized printing thousands of these directories was not meeting the needs and expectations of their member florists. The company announced a new program for member florists to advertise with other members in the FTD network, focusing on simplicity and ease of use. In May, they released the FTD Digital Display program, an online digital directory and advertising program accessible to member florists through their FTD Mercury Network. By making this change, FTD is saving thousands of trees and nearly $2MM of costs annually.
FTD is also extending the value of their services to florists and the florist industry by helping their member floral shops become more sustainable. The company has joined the Green Business Bureau (GBB) and partnered with the firm to offer green business certification and “greening” services to all their members. Members signing up for the value-added GBB services through FTD will have access to GBB’s online sustainability applications, EcoAssessment and EcoPlanner. Florists earning a green business designation will be able to demonstrate their commitment with the trusted GBB seal on their storefronts, vans and websites.
This partnership further demonstrates FTD’s commitment to helping small businesses. Competition for small business services in the floral industry is fierce and innovation is more critical than ever. By bringing “green business” value to their member shops, FTD is enabling their members to operate more efficiently through sustainability initiatives. Just as important, they are enabling their members to meet the sustainability expectations of their employees and customers. In fact, being a green business often leads to capturing new customers, attracting great employees and saving money.
“In this eco-savvy world, Green Business Bureau certification will help florists both gain environmentally minded customers and trim their business operating cost.”
“We’re excited about the partnership with FTD and their commitment to sustainability,” said Tom Permatteo, CEO, Green Business Bureau. “By streamlining the access to our services and packaging them economically with other services, more FTD florists will be able to benefit from becoming greener and demonstrating their commitment to sustainability.”
The unique partnership between FTD and the Green Business Bureau will enable FTD to bring greening and certification programs directly to member florist shops. FTD members will receive a greatly discounted GBB membership rate through FTD. Members that have already begun a path towards sustainability can complete an EcoAssessment to validate their initiatives, benchmark their green business and immediately earn their GBB seal. Members starting their sustainability journey can use the GBB EcoPlanner online application to identify green initiatives to bring more savings, drive sales and become more eco-friendly. This includes access to an online library of step-by-step EcoPlans and a large directory of other green businesses to source from. Together, FTD and their network of small business will partner with GBB to advance sustainability and make every florist a green business.
