Fresh Flowers Never Smelled Better
by Denzel Shull
http://www.floristbuddy.com
When you picture the golden Mercury Man, what company comes
to mind? The business FTD is just as recognizable by its
logo as by its name. For almost 100 years, FTD has been
delivering fresh flower arrangements to people's doorsteps.
First known as "Florists' Telegraph Delivery", FTD began in
1910 by using a unique system to deliver floral arrangements
to customers. Fifteen American retail florists devised a
system to swap orders and get these deliveries to as many
out of town customers as possible. Now known as "Florists
Transworld Delivery", FTD delivers to just about anywhere in
the United States and throughout many other countries.
Why is the golden man so widely recognized throughout the
world? FTD is the top florist in the United States as well
as throughout the world. The Mercury Network, FTD's
electronic network, wires orders and personal messages
throughout the floriculture market; most of this market own
floral or gift shops. Then, a network of 20,000 North
American retail florists who participate in the Mercury
Network work together to get these orders ready for pick up
or delivery to your doorstep. Overseas, around 50,000 FTD
florists in 154 countries are also poised to fill your order
and deliver.
FTD Corporation (FTDI) is based in Downers Grove, Illinois.
Call centers in America for FTD are in Illinois, Oregon and
Connecticut. The corporation is owned by Leonard Green &
Partners and provides the technology necessary for florists
to hook up to its system. FTD Group, a subsidiary of FTDI,
operates through two venues: FTD.COM and 1-800-SEND-FTD.
Each venue offers over 400 floral arrangements and over 800
gift items. As of June 2004, FTDI has brought in $397.1
million in revenues, which is a steady incline since June
2002. FTD has international headquarters in several
countries such as Germany and Brazil.
To become a member or affiliate, an operation simply fills
out a form. The shop is then able to collect income or
commission through FTD.com~s partnership with LinkShare
Corporation, a leading e-commerce technology organization.
By linking to FTD on the member's website, orders are
automatically registered with FTD and LinkShare. Orders
that exceed $25 send a commission to affiliates. Affiliates
receive this commission by logging into LinkShare.
Why place an order with FTD? FTD guarantees flower
arrangements to be fresh. Also, all deliveries inside the
U.S. and Canada are guaranteed on the same day. While this
is a tall order to fill, FTD sells hundreds of fresh flower
arrangements and gifts for almost any occasion. If you feel
lost about what gift or floral arrangement to select, an FTD
Gift Advisor can provide suggestions appropriate for nearly
any special or everyday occasion.
Today, if you see the Mercury Man or woman at your doorstep,
you can still bank on getting the highest quality service in
the floral industry and some of the best arrangements and
gifts in the market.
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