1-800-Flowers
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| 1-800 FLOWERS.COM | |
| Type | Public (NASDAQ: FLWS) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1976 |
| Headquarters | Carle Place, New York |
| Key people | Jim McCann CEO Chris McCann, President |
| Industry | Retail |
| Products | Flowers, Gift Baskets, Plants, Gourmet Food, Collectibles |
| Slogan | Your florist of choice |
| Website | www.1800flowers.com |
1-800-Flowers is a major flower retailer and distribution company in the United States. It is a pioneer both in the use of a 24 x 7 toll-free telephone number and in the use of online media and the Internet for direct sales to consumers.
The company was originally founded by Carl Westcott and later sold to Jim Poage and Jim Davis in 1982. The company was acquired in 1986 by Jim McCann, an owner of several flower shops in the New York City area since 1976, to facilitate the ordering of flowers and floral arrangements via the telephone.
The company specializes in retail sales of flowers and gift items within the United States and internationally. The company was among the first retailers to partner with online pioneers CompuServe and AOL in 1992 and 1994, respectively. In April 1995, the company was one of the first retailers to establish its own Internet presence. In 1999, the company went public on the Nasdaq stock exchange under the ticker symbol (NASDAQ: FLWS). It was then that the company officially changed its trademarked name to 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, to match its Web site URL.
In subsequent years, the company has merged or acquired a number of other gift and retailing companies. It has also established a business-to-business wing called BloomNet, a network of florists. While this network is substantially smaller than similar networks owned by FTD and Teleflora, the company claims that its member florists are screened more carefully than in those networks.
The company is headquartered in Carle Place, New York, on Long Island.
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