Over recent years the company has expanded its portfolio to include other varieties of cut-flowers, indoor plants, and luxury Isle of Man Hampers. Post-a-Rose uses OPTIONS to manage seasonal peak times in the business - Christmas, Valentine’s and Mother’s day - as well as boost business during the quieter times of the year with the marketing functionality.
According to Mark Hotchkiss, Managing Director at Post-a-Rose.com; “We initially wanted a solution that could be used for a small number of users, but could accommodate more in the future.
Post-a-Rose has also recently merged with a large local wholesaler of fruit and vegetables that has 180 employees and stocks over 5000 product lines. Hotchkiss is confident that OPTIONS will be easily able to accommodate both the growth in product lines and number of users.
“The web interface package imports data straight into OPTIONS, which means that we can track and process all orders centrally. We have seen a huge improvement in the efficiency of order processing, not just from telephone orders but also from the web interface. We now have the potential to introduce new product ranges and OPTIONS will be essential to support this growth. It has been a very robust system that has helped to support our business over the years without us having to upgrade.”
Orders are captured on the OPTIONS database, which also holds product definitions, pricing, promotion and discount programmes, purchasing and all financial and marketing strategies. Post-a-Rose is able to change and view the data to reflect differences by sales channel, where the price may vary from the printed catalogue, to special offers on the web.
Post-a-Rose uses the marketing facility within the database to target customer promotions on certain products, to reward loyal customers as well as communicate with customers who have lapsed.
Chris Andrews, Managing Director at Options Mail Order commented, “Post-a-Rose.com is an example of a fledgling business that has grown to become a profitable, established concern. Whatever the size of a mail order business, it pays dividends to invest in a robust and specialist system that can support the basic customer and order management through different sales channels both for efficiency gains in the present and to accommodate future growth.”
About Post-a-Rose
Post-a-Rose.com, an online Florist, was formed in 2000 specialising in sending the finest quality roses throughout the UK. The online business is part of Ballakinnish Nurseries Ltd, in the Isle of Mann, a family run business that celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2008.
The business has grown exponentially over the last few years, using the finest sourced flower produce from the British Isle and the Netherlands. It has recently also expanded its portfolio to include other varieties of cut-flowers, indoor plants, and luxury Isle of Man Hampers. For more information: please visit: www.post-a-rose.com
About Options UK
The Options Management Team are supply chain specialists. In 1981 they formed a company to supply bespoke systems to major international companies such as Pentax and Cadbury Schweppes. These systems were packaged and sold to worldwide multi-nationals such as Pirelli, Hotpoint, Lucas, Raleigh and Unilever.
As part of the company’s development, the European rights to a mail order management system were acquired in the mid 90s. Following experience of supporting this product, Options was formed in 1996 to develop the OPTIONS Mail Order Management System.
Options has UK Offices in Thame, Oxfordshire, that accommodate product development, sales and the customer response centre. User training is given at the company’s residential training centre near High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.
Options Software Australia Pty Ltd's office is located in Sydney, Australia. Options Software Australia Pty Ltd has an exclusive distribution agreement for the Asia Pacific region, to develop, supply and support the OPTIONS Mail Order Management system.
For more information please visit: www.options-mailorder.co.uk
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