News 2010-07-29T16:39:59-05:00 Design Master Workshops Postponed Due to Weather 40 Due to the unseasonably warm weather, we have decided to postpone the Design Master Workshops until further notice.

The forecast for the rest of the week is under a heat index advisory, so it is with much disappointment that we have decided to postpone the sessions to another date and time - likely in the fall.

All pre-registered attendees will be fully credited their paid amount.

Please contact us if you have any questions.

Sincerely,
Baisch and Skinner

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2010-07-26T14:50:25-05:00 2010-07-26T14:49:49-05:00 -
Phoenix Location Ramping up Design Class Offerings 39 Our Phoenix location is getting Hands-On with our customers throughout the rest of the calendar year with a full schedule of classes and seminars. Baisch and Skinner is committed to providing educational programs to enrich our customers. The first Tuesday of almost every month will be a hands-on class with great instruction, refreshments, and the opportunity to keep whatever you create! Classes vary between fresh flowers and permanent botanicals. We will also have some incredible seminars as well!

To learn more about these events, or to find out how to register, click on the link below:

2010 Hands-On Classes & Seminars - Phoenix, AZ

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2010-06-09T11:55:26-05:00 2010-06-09T11:55:23-05:00 -
Two Spring Promotions Kicking Off April 1st 38 At Baisch and Skinner, we've decided to kick off spring in a big way with two new promotions beginning April 1st. Both have been designed, very simply put, to put money back into our customers' pockets!

In an economy that presents many challenges and opportunities, we feel there is great strength in numbers - and that's why we are looking for ways to partner with our customers like never before. It's no secret, our customers' success translates directly to our success. So to that end, we've created two promotions that aim to help our customers' bottom lines.

What's even better is that one of the promotions directly benefits the environment and helps us all become more green.

To find out more about each of these new initiatives, click on the links below:

>> Baisch Box Recycling Program

>> 10 Cents a Mile

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2010-05-24T09:35:43-05:00 2010-05-24T09:35:39-05:00 -
New Store Manager in Phoenix 37 Baisch and Skinner is pleased to announce the appointment of Christie Cothrun to the role of Store Manager in its Phoenix, Arizona location. Christie joined the Baisch and Skinner team on September 8, 2009.

In her role, Christie is responsible for building and maintaining excellent relations with Baisch and Skinner’s existing clients as well as selling new products and services to prospective new customers in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area.

Not too long ago, Christie was employed at Star Decorators Wholesale in Scottsdale, Arizona, as their store manager. She speaks fondly of her relationship with many of you during her tenure there, and would love to see you again. Please do stop in when you can to say hello.

Our congratulations and best wishes go to Darlene Summers, our Phoenix store’s previous manager. Darlene has chosen to pursue new opportunities within the floral and decorative industries. Thank you, Darlene, for years of dedicated service…we wish you the best.

Stop by Tuesday, September 29th during our Fall Open House and Interactive Workshop Series for a chance to visit with Christie, as she settles into her new role with Baisch and Skinner. Suzie Kostick AIFD will be on hand that day, presenting two afternoon hands-on design workshops as well as a design presentation in the evening. The store is loaded with the newest products for the fall and holiday seasons, so it’s a perfect time to stock up on the latest trends and meet Christie at the same time!

To contact Christie, call our Phoenix store at 602.285.0888 or email her at christie@baischandskinner.com.

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2009-12-28T13:49:09-06:00 2009-12-28T13:48:42-06:00 -
Baisch and Skinner on Facebook 36 As they say, "it's better late than never," right? Well, with that said, we've finally joined the social media craze and created our very own Facebook account!

In our continual effort to better communicate and stay close with customers, our Facebook page will help in the following ways:

  • Stay up-to-date on all the latest news, events, discounts, and promotions.
  • RSVP for upcoming events.
  • Join discussion boards and post your thoughts about the latest topics in the floral industry.
  • View pictures of all our locations, events, and products.

Join us now and become part of the Baisch and Skinner experience.

Click HERE and Become a Fan today!

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2010-07-26T14:51:27-05:00 2010-07-26T14:51:22-05:00 -
Super Summer Silk Sale Announced 35 Beginning Monday, June 8th and running until the end of June, all Baisch and Skinner locations will be offering a Super Summer Silk Sale, blowing out all of our current silk merchandise. Making way for incoming shipments of fall & holiday items, we must move current silks and plan to do so through this exciting promotion.

Promotion Details

  • Purchase between $1 and $250 dollars of silk inventory and enjoy a 20% discount.
  • Spend more than $250 dollars worth of silk merchandise and the discount goes up to 35% off!

Click HERE to view event details and promotional discounts.

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2009-07-07T13:53:24-05:00 2009-07-07T13:53:21-05:00 -
Fit Florist Training Tips 34 (Excerpted from the December 2008 issue of Floral Management magazine, with permission of the Society of American Florists)

Leave no container behind. Designers at Chalifour’s Flowers are challenged to be miracle workers — and they succeed by bringing dead containers back to life and killing waste. “Every shop has those containers — you know, the ones that need some help — and this forces designers to rescue them," says Judy Aboud, general manager at the Manchester, N.H., shop. Winners of the challenge get a pizza party (for groups), or gift certificates to spend in the shop. (Talk about a one-two punch: this saves money and generates sales.)

Close your greenhouse — now, says Carmen Cosentino, AAF. He let go of what had become a giant, 3,000-square-foot glass keepsake at Cosentino Florist this past year. After years of Goodman telling him to lose the greenhouse, Cosentino says he “looked at my numbers" ($6,000 a year in utilities, $4,000 in upkeep and labor) and “looked at my ego and decided it was time" to close what had been a part of his family’s Auburn, N.Y.-based business since it started selling tomato plants in 1934. “Mentally, it’s been hard," he says. “But it’s easier when I look at the savings." His advice to florists caught between nostalgia and the numbers? Go with the numbers.

Detail your dump. All florists have dump, but not all florists display their wasteful numbers for designers to see. They should, says Judy Aboud. At Chalifour’s Flowers, the general manager posts the weekly dump percentage in the design room where “it hits home" and sets the bar for benchmarking. Knowing what the percentage of dump was for one month, Aboud can challenge the staff to reduce it by a certain percent and give them a tangible goal.

Pull the plug, lower your wattage. David Levine is writing a smaller check to his utility company each month for Central Square Florist — thanks to his utility company. Since a new lighting installation, upgrades to two coolers and the addition of an energy-efficient cooler monitor, the shop in Cambridge, Mass., has lowered its bill by at least 10 percent. His local utility company paid 70 percent of the cost of the refrigeration upgrades and 70 percent of the lighting modifications as part of its own energy efficiency program. Even little tweaks add up. Manny Gonzales tinted some of the windows at Tiger Lily, saving the Charleston, S.C., flower shop $100 a month in electricity bills this summer.

Knock out “pay per fee" items, such as 411 calls (which can cost up to $2 each) and last number recall (or *69), says Ken Young, AAF, of Phoenix Flower Shops in Phoenix. Young has his staff use the phone book or online directories.

Forget the flat delivery fee. Charge for everything: strict time limit, a location on your delivery range border, having drivers dress up. Instead of turning away an order, say “yes" but have the customer pay for it. Tina Stoecker, AIFD, PFCI, of Designs of the Times in Melbourne, Fla., also charges for each package.

-- Amanda Long, Managing Editor

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2008-12-02T09:57:47-06:00 2008-12-02T09:57:43-06:00 -
Holiday Statement Stuffers Available 33 At Baisch and Skinner, we are always looking for ways to bring new ideas to our customers. It is our hope that many of these ideas can then be easily implemented into your shop or business to help grow sales. With this in mind, we have created two new Statement Stuffer Ideas for the upcoming Holiday Season.

Simply print these materials off and mail them out with statements. Or promote the ideas in your shop! However you choose, our hope is that these ideas will help promote new ideas for floral buying and allow you to capitalize on the holiday season.

To view these two new statement stuffer ideas, click on the appropriate link below:

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2009-01-06T16:48:58-06:00 2009-01-06T16:48:46-06:00 -
Upcoming Design Class Scheduled 32 All About Flowers, the learning center on the Saint Louis Flower Market, is ramping up its design class offerings this summer to include its most popular course, Introduction to Fresh Flower Design.

Starting on Tuesday, June 29th, and running until August 17th, Marge Coles, Floral Design Instructor from Belleville, will teach an eight-week session that will prepare individuals for a career in floral design. Learn the basics of fresh flower design through this hands-on course.

For more information on this course, click on the link below:


Tuesdays: June 29th - August 17th – Introduction to Fresh Flower Design



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2010-07-26T14:51:26-05:00 2010-07-26T14:50:53-05:00 -
Introducing FloraGlas 31 We are pleased to announce the introduction of FloraGlas™, a new line of utility glassware that will be landing on our shelves near the end of October. FloraGlas™ items are packed in half-cases - making shopping and storing of glassware more flexible!

For more pricing information, contact a Baisch and Skinner representative.

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2009-05-27T14:16:09-05:00 2009-05-27T14:16:06-05:00 -