Interflora is a 100-year-old brand and we are present across the world: Rhys Hughes

Premium online flower deliverers Interflora has forayed into the domestic market with the launch of its service in Mumbai. In an exclusive conversation with Indian Retailer, Interflora UK president Rhys Hughes shared that the international brand will change people’s perception about buying flowers online.

Why did Interflora decide to enter the Indian market at this point of time?
Interflora is a global brand and we are present in international markets. India has a large gifting market and it made sense for us to enter India. The online industry is rapidly growing and the online gifting industry is now a recognized market. To make the most of this, we are entering the Indian market.

What is the strategy behind venturing into only online sales?
Interflora is a 100-year-old brand and we are present across the world. The future growth for premium gifting industry lies in gifting online and we want to change people’s perception about buying and gifting flowers. Typically, when people order flowers from us, we deliver only protected flowers which are incubated in a controlled environment. We channel the manufacturing of flowers and produce only handpicked ones.

What are the challenges in the traditional Indian market where people still like to touch and buy?
Engaging the population maybe a bit of a challenge but we are a trusted brand and a customer would only get what they see in a picture on the website. Our products come with quality assurance and we only deliver what we promise. Most of the times, our flowers are as close and as real as those in the online pictures.

What are your marketing strategies and who is your target audience?
We are following the traditional marketing strategies along with working on our social media presence. And our target customers would be anyone who prefers buying gifts online and choose premium gifting products. Also, occasions-based deliveries like anniversaries and birthdays too will be high.

What are your growth opportunities?
The USP of our product is customers have access to any global design and we deliver them the product. However, we want our products to stand for themselves in its own way and we are looking at ensuring our flowers will last more than a day. Innovation in market will lead the way forward and we will keenly focus on innovation.