#FTD Buys #Proflowers...the Big Just Got BIGGER!

The news is just in.

FTD is buying Proflowers by the end of the year.

For $430 million.

So the big just got bigger.

This will not have much of an impact for flower delivery in Canada, as the Proflowers model of shipping flowers overnight has never worked up here.

In the summer it's too hot...in the winter, way too cold for flowers to be sitting on a tarmac or in the cargo area of our country's airports.

But in the U.S....this will be huge.

Previously, Proflowers would ship their overnight boxes by FedEx for arrival the next day across America. FTD has now purchased this system and the customer base as well.

If the customer wanted same day delivery, they would funnel the orders to local florists by Teleflora.

Now these orders will be funneled to FTD florists, with Teleflora flower shops being cut out of the loop.

And that is going to have a huge impact on whether florists become members of FTD and maybe even drop their Teleflora memberships.

Either way, it's going to be an interesting year in the floral industry!

I saw Mommy doing THIS to Santa Claus

Mommy could be doing much worse than just kissing Santa Claus.

You see, Santa Claus is Canadian.
He lives at the North Pole.
And the North Pole IS in Canada...I don't care what other countries say.
Yup, good old Santa creates employment when he hires Canadian elves.
He pays federal, territorial, and municipal taxes in Canada.
Mrs. Claus was even born in Regina (I know her personally).

But when Mommy orders her Christmas flowers, gourmet baskets, fruit baskets or centrepieces, Mommy could be doing all sorts of unintentional "evil" to our Canadian-born Santa Claus:

• Mommy could be ordering Christmas flowers & gifts from a BIG company out of the U.S., like FTD.com, Teleflora, 1-800 Flowers, Wesley Berry, From You Flowers or Just Flowers. These companies take the profits right out of the pockets of Canadian florists and "re-patriate" them to the States. These businesses may look like they are based in Canada. They're not. Simon Says Roses however, IS Canadian. We even cheer for the Canucks. Now how Canadian is that?
• Mommy could be shopping locally, but the shop is not Canadian owned. Same as the above, the business looks like it is based in Canada, but true ownership is not Canadian. Walmart Canada, Canada Safeway, Home Depot...all U.S. based. They hire local people, pay local taxes, but the profit...the profit goes south.
• Mommy could be driving to the U.S. to do her Christmas shopping. Hmmm...when Canadian stores start closing down and her taxes increase, Mommy will know why. Santa Claus is not impressed.
• Unlike Mommy, Santa Claus looks for the "Made in Canada" sticker on all his gifts. After all, he feeds the reindeer with Saskatchewan grain, replaces Rudolph's red rose with lights from Rona (not Lowe's), and even gets his replacement parts for his sleigh from Magna. And when he's lost (he really does sometimes) he uses the GPS on his Blackberry, not his I-phone or Android!

This Christmas, please make the choice to shop in Canada....from a Canadian-owned business.

We would all benefit in the long run, don't you think?