London-based Whitney Bromberg Hawkings leveraged her longtime design experience at Gucci and Tom Ford to forge a path of her own, launching her posh global online flower business FLOWERBX in 2015.
Though the bespoke digital floral company quickly rose to prominence, serving clients like Dior, Louis Vuitton and Tiffany & Co., Hawkings nevertheless opened a storefront to gain a greater edge. Last year, FLOWERBX unveiled its new space inside the five-star Corinthia London hotel overlooking the Thames River.
With an already well-established name in the industry and a star-studded clientele, why did Hawkings decide to expand into a physical space? Let’s find out.
Why FLOWERBX went brick and mortar
“For us, having a physical presence completes the 360-degree experience for our current customers but also allows us to meet new ones,” says Hawkings. “I personally understand how experiential the act of giving and receiving flowers is—the human connection aspect of florals is a huge part of why I started the brand. So, the opportunity to bring that out of the digital world and into a physical store experience is something we’ve always aimed for. Plus, where is more iconic than Corinthia London?” she says.
From the beginning, Hawkings’ vision of brand building included this quest to establish a physical home for FLOWERBX. Even before opening their permanent footprint at Corinthia London, Hawkings says in-person activities such as brand events, workshops, pop-up shops or collaborations had been a priority to get flowers directly into the hands of customers.
A showroom allows for hosting events and workshops to help people engage with what her company does, Hawkings explains. Gathering IRL enables people to connect emotionally with flowers and discover, as she has, their evocative nature.
“Giving people the opportunity to enjoy their beauty, scent and discover new varieties in real life is something that I’ll never tire of, with the hope that these customers will fall in love with the beauty of flowers the way I have,” she says.
Finding a home at Corinthia London
Corinthia London was a harmonious match because of its iconic reputation, identical core aesthetics and prime location, attractive to tourists and locals alike.
Hawkings says the ambiance and energy of the space itself was a flawless fit for FLOWERBX. The hotel is different from others in London, she says. “It’s elegant yet innovative and feels contemporary and classic in unison. So many spaces fall into either the traditional and heritage or ultra-modern minimalist categories, so finding a space that feels true to who we are as a brand was always a key part of our evolution.”
Partnering with Corinthia London, as opposed to looking for a traditional retail space, promised a mutually advantageous partnership. “While a traditional London high street may offer us footfall, it doesn’t offer us a ready-made clientele,” Hawkings says.
In contrast, Corinthia London attracts guests who are natural FLOWERBX clients because they champion the same core values as her company, an ethos she describes as “pure luxury, but considered, elevated and innovative.” Hotel guests are also a captive audience, she notes. “We already know they buy into the story and aesthetic of the hotel, which allows FLOWERBX to be an extension of that.”
Echoing the sentiment, managing director of Corinthia London Thomas Kochs says FLOWERBX’s celebration of beauty, elegance and sustainability seamlessly aligns with the hotel’s values. “FLOWERBX’s innovative approach to floristry adds a layer of charm and sophistication to our hotel.”
He adds that the guest experience is enhanced by the stunning seasonal floral arrangements throughout the property featuring Hawkings’ single-stem bouquets, as well as the single-note candles, room sprays and vintage homewares that have been hand-selected by Hawkings. “We love working with FLOWERBX,” Kochs says.
Is it for you? Evaluating storefront benefits
If you have a successful online business, you may be wondering if you should open a retail store. Lindsey Carnett, CEO of Los Angeles marketing firm Marketing Maven and author of The Marketing Maven Method: Secrets of a Maven says that a storefront can offer a stamp of credibility, especially for international clients. With 30% of her client base international, Carnett knows that a perception exists that you’re not legitimate without a physical address.
Retail also offers a physical footprint which creates a platform for building community. Carnett says that effective storefronts will curate the whole-store experience—from the lighting and décor to music and scent—to reflect brand values. A storefront provides a tangible experience to customers, absent in digital commerce.
Employees model these values in how they look and carry themselves, for example. “There is an opportunity from a training perspective, to have personalized customer service and train [the] in-store team [on] how we treat our customers,” she explains.
A storefront also provides a hub for brand enthusiasts, deepening loyalty and bringing people together who share the same values. Brand-aligned experiences help strengthen and expand the fanbase, says Carnett, pointing out that Lush offers customers a hand massage when they come in, rounding out their shopping experience.
Her company did marketing for a sustainable, eco-friendly clothing brand where they invited the media to visit the store as it was hosting a holiday ornament workshop using waste materials. “They wanted to emphasize this [as a] place for community and art … and an atmosphere that could tap into the local culture,” she says.
Possible pitfalls of a physical store
Carnett says that one of the biggest risks of opening a retail store is also the most obvious: the hefty lease agreement. “We’ve seen that backfire,” she says, pointing out Rodeo Drive, where an uptick in crime led to luxury brands shuttering. “I think there’s a lot that a brand has to look at before they get into a ‘marriage’ with a lease.”
Regarding partnerships, Carnett says, “Any collaboration is risky, because you’re depending on both parties holding up to their end of the bargain.” If the hotel has bad management, it’s kind of like guilt by association. But it goes both ways—hotels also need to approach hosting a brand with caution. Do your due diligence beforehand, she advises.
You also want to make sure you pick the right location. “Just by which address you choose, you’re making a big statement. And you don’t do that necessarily with your URL,” Carnett says.
For instance, deciding whether to put a store in Soho or in Brooklyn in New York City makes a difference, as each area has a different vibe. “It’s the same concept of almost having a brand collaboration, if you will, just by physically being there,” Carnett says.
Same thing applies to leasing within another brand, be it a hotel or a shopping mall. She advises to think about your decision as a brand collaboration just by physically being there. “What you want to be associated with, is how the brand appears.”
Carnett predicts we’re going to see an increase in experiential-type retail that resembles a showroom concept. “People still might buy their product online, but they get to go touch and feel it at the store and go see all the strong brand attributes that really create loyalty,” she says.
Photo courtesy of Prostock-studio/Shutterstock
