Whether you’re still working from home or are already back at the office, we hope you’re staying safe and adapting well to the new normal. With almost three months into the MCO, we thought we should update you on how things have been and will be on our end. It is going to be a lengthy one. Please sit tight, feel free to grab a nice cuppa before you read on.
We think you already know how crazy a ride it has been for all us as we navigate through this pandemic. As a company, we had challenges of all forms hurled at us. We’re deemed to be a non-essential business and had to cease all operations at the beginning of the MCO. Our HQ was shut down completely. As the weeks went by, we reopened under regulated conditions. We charged through flower supply issues, demand fluctuations, manpower limitations, operation hurdles to name a few. On one hand, we’re cornered by these unprecedented circumstances. On the other, it has forced us to focus and strive with what little resource we can count on. The situation was tough, but it helped push us to be adaptive, creative and bold. We soldiered on.
In April, we worked with our partners to launch Happy Mart, where we introduced a new range of essential products such as cakes, snacks, baby gift boxes and farm-direct fresh vegetables. The Happy Mart was a solution born out of necessity. But the insights we’ve gained from it and our customers have allowed us to adjust our gift offerings immediately.
In May, we managed to brave through what was supposed to be the biggest occasion of the year for us florists—Mother’s Day. With only a handful of us physically back at work, we achieved what we didn’t think was possible by fulfilling over a thousand deliveries of flowers and gifts during Mother’s Day week. This experience took the meaning of sweat and tears to a whole new level, believe us.
June arrived. Business is rolling, and we are going back to the basics. We couldn’t have done it without you, our friends and fans who have been so loyal, supportive and encouraging. We are extremely grateful and couldn’t have asked for more at such times. Our purpose is to inspire people to appreciate everyday moments with the people they care for—big or small, good or bad, through simple, thoughtful and affordable gifting. While this has always been our north star, it is more important now than ever considering the ongoing restriction and safety measures on social interactions.
What’s new?
The Happy Points Reward Programme
It’s our little token of appreciation to you. No contests, no catch, no strings attached. We want to give you more love every time you send your love to someone. Collect Happy Points every time you shop with us and you’d get to redeem discounts and unlock exciting perks with the points you’ve earned.
The Launch of Surprise Bunch
The idea is, we want to continue bringing you premium seasonal blooms despite having to factor in irregular flower supply. We also want to keep it pocket-friendly for you. To do that, we are working very closely with our flower suppliers to bring in a mix of flowers that we would make into beautiful bouquets whenever they have them fresh in stock, and the mix can come random—hence the surprise. As much as the Surprise Bunch may have been a surprise for you, its launch surprised us as well. We’ve received some positive feedback, and we see our flower wastage reduced to almost close to zero. We did receive some negative ones. Our peonies ran out of stock and we had to substitute it with another bloom. We know you love your peonies, we hear you. We’ll bring in more whenever they’re available, we promise. This is a limited-time-only bunch and it will be available till our flower supply flow is back on track. So get them while they’re still here.
Daily Bunch Returns
One bunch a day for any reason, or no reason at all—remember those? We miss the thrill of bringing you new bunches on a daily basis and we have a feeling you do too! We’re in the midst of bringing it back real soon, so stay tuned.
Introducing Preserved Bunch
We have seen a growth in demand for preserved flowers. While fresh flowers still have their undeniable magic, we do have some of you who care about the longevity factor. We agree! It is nice to get to hang on to a bouquet, especially when we get to relive the love that came with it again and again. Preserve Bunches are unique, beautiful and they can last a long time. What’s not to love? If you want to send one or get one to style up your room, it’s available on our website now.
More thoughtful gift ideas
Thoughtfulness has always been our guide when we curate our Gift Collection. One of the more obvious observations we have on what people are buying as gifts are essential items and care packages during this time of need. We have received requests to bundle up a flower bouquet with an essential gift. You can do that now with our fresh vegetables, and we’re working towards making it available for all our Happy Mart products to complete the experience. We are also bringing in more thoughtfully curated gift boxes that are practical yet fun. Each one filled with quality items you or your recipients can truly enjoy and put to good use as you spend more time at home. Our latest includes the Sunshine Box and Magic Box, two things that are much needed to help cheer up our souls. They are selling fast, and we are working hard to have them restocked ASAP. We are also introducing original greeting cards soon! Something you can add on to your bouquet or gift box for that extra pizzazz.
Father’s Day special
Father’s Day is on 21 June 2020! Remember to put it in your reminder. We have a special gift box and potted plant our mighty dads would definitely enjoy coming up next week!
Delivery service updates
There have been uncertainties and limitations in our delivery service during the MCO. Some of you have experienced hiccups in your delivery, were unsure of the delivery timeline and the availability of delivery to certain locations. We are doing our best to get our delivery SOPs back in place. Our same-day delivery service and the self-pickup option have returned, so yay! All you have to do is to complete your order by 12:30 pm. For self-pickup, we will make sure all safety measures are properly carried out.
If you have made it this far through the update, THANK YOU. SO MUCH. Life goes on, and we have learned that it is hard to power through without the love and connection that some of us may have taken for granted when times were easy. We wish to help you connect with your loved ones no matter what. Our goal is to make it effortless for you to express your affection, and to show them you care through thoughtful gestures even when you’re apart. None of our efforts would have been possible without your interest and support in all we do. It is the love, trust, kindness and patience you have extended to us that has helped us pull through this challenging period. We are truly grateful for you and we are committed to doing all we can to be of good service. Thank you again.
