Oct. 28, 2009 Search Floral Industry Supply Guide >  E-Brief Links >   Past Issues    SAF Market    Industry Events Calendar    Contact Us                                Follow SAF on:
View all stories on a single page. TOP NEWS Say It Isn’t So Trader Joe’s: SAF Asks for Fair Ads By Jenny Scala Trader Joe’s, a specialty retail grocery store in nine states popular for its Two-Buck Chuck wine, employees in Hawaiian shirts and its utilitarian displays of exotic fare, recently turned off one SAF member. Read more 1-800-Flowers.com Posts 1Q Loss, Expects ‘Significantly Better’ 2010 By Amanda Long 1-800-Flowers.com reported a first quarter loss of $0.09 a share, 1 cent better than the analyst estimate of ($0.10). Revenue for the quarter, ended Sept. 27 was $108.3 million, compared with $135.4 million in the prior year. Read more Live from Funeral Directors Convention, It’s Florists, Flowers, Teamwork By Amanda Long Like most florists, Cheryl Bakin and Clay Atchison would love to rid obituaries from the words “in lieu of flowers” and show every single funeral director in the country what a difference flowers can make. Read more Obama to Offer Banks Capital for More Small Businesses Lending From Bloomberg President Barack Obama plans to announce new measures to open up credit for small businesses, including capital injections for community banks to spur lending, the administration said. Read more    Capture Orders with The Fitz and Floyd Holly Berry Bowl Create high demand by offering the Limited Collector’s Edition Holly Berry Bowl by Fitz and Floyd. This hand-painted, heirloom is delivered in a Collector’s Gift Box with a numbered Certificate of Authenticity. Align your shop with the Fitz & Floyd brand and set yourself apart while ensuring customer retention. More info TRENDS NRF Doesn't Expect Halloween Sales to Rise from the Dead By Amanda Long Retailers looking to say R.I.P to the recession aren't going to get their death wish just yet. Halloween spending is expected to be down 15 percent this year according to the National Retail Federation. For 33 percent of Americans, the economy is the reason the season is different this year. Read more Gas Prices Climb 17 Cents in a Week From CBS 12 Have you noticed? Gas prices are spiking to levels we haven't seen since the summer. The latest report from AAA shows the average gas price in Florida has gone up 17 cents in the past week and 26 cents in the past month. Read more BEST PRACTICES SAF’s Health Plan Fits the Bill for Cost-Conscious Members By Shelley Estersohn A still-sluggish economy hasn’t slowed the rise of health care premiums, leaving businesses nationwide searching for less-costly options. The SAF Health Insurance Plan is already helping many florists, growers and wholesalers gain control of their health care costs. Read more NEWSMAKERS TLC Adds 'Rock n Roll Florist' to Colorful Reality Mix By Amanda Long Finally, a reality show about florists. Of course, one look into the swank settings and celebrity budgets of Jeff Leatham’s clients may have most florists thinking “fantasy.” On Nov. 4, TLC will air a glimpse into the fast-paced, bold-faced life of Leatham, the artistic director for the Four Seasons, based in the George V hotel in Paris. Read more LIFE AT WORK Is a Friend Request a Lawsuit Request? By Amanda Long Bosses who friend their employees on Facebook are just “begging to be sued,” according to a recent article in a law journal. Read more Bosses Overrate Workforce Morale, Survey Says From the Boston Globe It hardly seems a news flash that a recession could result in lower morale among employees, but a new survey suggests that bosses are having a hard time grasping that concept. Read more BUSINESS BUILDERS Keep Your Regulars Happy From Entrepreneur Some small business owners are so focused on attracting new customers they forget to take care of the ones they already have. And neglected customers will certainly be ripe for the picking by the competition. Bob Green, president of advertising agency The Verdi Group, offers some easy and inexpensive ways to make sure your regulars keep coming back - and get some more along the way. Read more TECHNOLOGY Web Coupons a Hit Among Affluent From eMarketer Consumer spending may have gone up in August, but Internet users are still keeping the purse strings tight. A RetailMeNot.com survey found that Web users are planning further cuts to holiday gift spending this year, and increasing their use of coupons over 2008. Read more MARK YOUR CALENDAR Get a Heads Up on Green Industry Changes and More The green industry is changing fast, and now is the time for attendees at the 26th Annual Pest and Production Management Conference to get up to speed. On the agenda are sessions focusing on: new plant growth regulators, new bio control options, new and less-costly substrate materials, water quality testing and treatment, faster disease diagnosis and containment, and lots more. Mark your calendars and plan to be in Orlando, Fla., at the Hyatt Regency Orlando Airport hotel February 25-27, 2010. The Pest and Production Management Conference is presented by SAF in partnership with Greenhouse Grower magazine. For more information please contact SAF's Laura Weaver, (800) 336-4743, lweaver@safnow.org. On the Horizon 26th Annual Pest and Production Management Conference Presented by SAF and Greenhouse Grower Magazine Feb. 25-27, 2010 Hyatt Regency Orlando Airport Orlando, Fla. SAF Congressional Action Days March 8-9, 2010 Fairmont Hotel, Washington, D.C. 25th Annual Seeley Conference June 26 – 29, 2010 Cornell University Ithaca, N.Y. SAF Orlando 2010 126th Annual Convention Sept. 22-25 Orlando, Fla. WEEKLY FEATURES E-Brief Top Five Missed an issue? Catch up on stories readers clicked most last week. Target Takes Aim at Flowers in Rachel Ray Mag, SAF Sends Missive Fed Revision Sharply Raises Floral Retail’s Value CNN’s Sweet Advice: Be a Man, Buy Flowers Pandemic Concerns Are Real: Is Your Store Prepared? Who Needs a Social-Media Policy? Product Spotlight: Control COGs with FREE Retailer Pricing Worksheet Now more than ever, florists have to control cost of goods sold (COGS). Get a grip on them with the SAF Retail Pricing Worksheet. The free Excel spreadsheet does the work for you – just apply your mark-up rates to calculate the right price per bunch, per stem and per bloom. Get your prices right for the holidays now. Download SAF's Retail Pricing Worksheet along with step-by-step-instructions and start controlling your COGs today. This is an exclusive SAF member-only product, free with your membership in the Society of American Florists. New Online A member is doing a wedding with Plumeria for the first time. She'd like advice from other SAF members. Read her post on the SAF Weddings and Special Events discussion forum. On SAF's Tech Talk forum, a member is looking for input before making a switch to a new POS system. On SAF's Facebook Page check out recent posts about another online pick-up of SAF floral research and how Toyota is using Flower Power.

This edition of the SAF Wednesday E-Brief was sent to ##Email##. To unsubscribe, click here. Did someone forward this edition to you? Subscribe here - it's free to SAF members!
Advertise Ben Maitland, Director of Advertising Sales 972.402.7025 Download Media Kit	Recent Issues Oct. 21, 2009 Oct. 14, 2009 Oct. 7, 2009 Sept. 30, 2009 Sept. 23, 2009

7701 Las Colinas Blvd., Ste. 800, Irving, TX 75063