Why us

Our Concept

More than a decade ago, the founders of Grower Direct made a commitment to apply that formula and deliver its product to Canadian consumers.

There was nothing glib in that promise. To give it substance, the company's founders (then operating from a single flower shop in Edmonton) took a bold step into a global economy all but unknown to most retail flower sellers.

By dealing directly with flower growers in Colombia (and later Ecuador) and by committing to longer term contracts than were then common, they were able to develop reliable low cost supply lines. That allowed them the confidence to create a new retail proposition in the market, a combination of price and value that consumers could not ignore.

The standing order between flower growers and Grower Direct has become a key element in the company's business model.

Under this arrangement, buyer and seller make binding commitments

1. for a specific quantity
2. of a specific type of flower
3. in a specific package
4. at a specific fixed price

to be shipped every week for an entire year.

Annual standing order agreements between Grower Direct and flower growers like Golden Flowers and Las Amalias in Colombia are not only useful for pricing.

They have a profound impact on quality. First, because this arrangement gives equal advantage to flower growers, Grower Direct has become a "preferred customer" with more standing among growers than the size of our weekly orders would suggest. In very practical terms, when a farm knows that its products have been pre-sold there is no temptation to cut and prepare flowers before their optimum growth point.

Just as important, by placing standing orders with our suppliers, we eliminate much of the holding time and many of the transport delays associated with buying flowers on the open market. They are shipped directly to our Miami facility, with no time consuming intermediate steps.

The standing order system also allows Grower Direct to provide services that would normally not be available to retail stores. With a regular schedule and established minimum throughout, the company can viably operate its own quality control facility in Miami, with a dedicated trucking system moving flowers directly to our stores..