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To: MyTwoCopperCoins
I worked for a florist in a former life. Nobody ships flowers by a common carrier such as FedEx or the postal system. Our orders came in by phone or by the FTD wire system. Thrifty people can avoid the nominal FTD wire charge by calling a reputable florist in the city where the arrangement is to be delivered, even if it is an FTD affiliate as well.

Someone would go to their florist in Phoenix (for example), pick out the arrangement and place the order for delivery to their friend in Fargo (where our store was located). We made up the arrangement and delivered it. The roses may have come in that morning from Utah on Amtrak, the orchids may have been picked up at the airport where they arrived from San Francisco. Other flowers may have come from local growers or our own greenhouse.

We duplicated the arrangement that the customer ordered in Phoenix and delivered it to their recipient hours later.

FTD works internationally in exactly the same way. The customer is billed in the currency of their credit card; the local florist is paid in their local currency; the recipient gets the arrangement selected made up at the local florist to whom the wire order was transferred. FTD has affiliates in most international markets and works the transaction seamlessly.

9 posted on 02/09/2009 2:39:15 PM PST by Vigilanteman (Are there any men left in Washington? Or, are there only cowards? Ahmad Shah Massoud)
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To: Vigilanteman

Hmm.

I was actually more aware of the situation with florists in Bangalore, India, who export cut flowers, in bulk, to Europe.


11 posted on 02/09/2009 2:53:32 PM PST by MyTwoCopperCoins
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