Flowers are a time-honored way of letting mom know just how much you love her. But sending flowers long distance can be confusing and sometimes disappointing, especially if you are not familiar with the process and some of the pitfalls.
The Internet has given rise to thousands of flower-delivery options. But how do you know you’re really getting a good price and high-quality service? And will the flowers arrive on time?
That great price might not be so great
Many websites touting great prices show you a gorgeous arrangement – only to deliver a bunch of flowers in a box that mom still has to put in a vase. In many cases, what is delivered is similar to what you’ll find in a grocery store or at a street vendor. It might be a nice bouquet but not arranged in a container; often, the container costs extra.
After adding extra charges such as service and delivery fees, the great price that first got your attention might not be any better than what a local florist would charge.
Beware of unscrupulous companies
Perhaps you know of a florist where mom lives. But be careful if you use a search engine to find contact information for that florist. Many unscrupulous companies make themselves appear to be local florists – maybe the one that you’re familiar with – by using a similar name or even a local phone number (that ultimately rings to another state).
These companies tend to charge high service and delivery fees, only to hand off the delivery to someone else. They charge you fees that they didn’t earn, and you don’t get what you paid for.
Call early – and call Royer’s
You can avoid these hassles and ensure the best results by placing your order early – and by calling us when you do.
We’re proud to be your local florist, but we also are one of the largest senders of long-distance orders in the country. Other florists want to keep us happy because they want to continue receiving our business. We also foster our relationships with them through our regular participation in national florist meetings.
In short, we can resolve the rare problem when it occurs. What’s more, we have strong ties to FTD and Teleflora, the two largest wire services that florists use to transmit their orders, and they will step in if necessary to make sure that problems are addressed to our customers’ satisfaction.
Sending flowers long distance can be confusing, but it doesn’t have to be. Just call us, and we’ll make the process easy. We’ll handle your out-of-town order with the same care and attention it would receive if we were delivering it ourselves.
Category: Flowers
Royer’s acquires business operations of Lebanon Valley Flowers and Gifts
Effective today, Royer’s has acquired the business operations of Lebanon Valley Flowers and Gifts.
Lebanon Valley Flowers’ store at 1140 State Route 72 North has closed and its customer list, standing orders and phone line will transfer to Royer’s flagship store at 810 S. 12th St., Lebanon.
Lebanon Valley Flowers’ stand at Lebanon Farmers Market will remain open but will focus on giftware.
Lebanon Valley Flowers’ owners, Peggy and Steve Progin, approached Royer’s shortly after Valentine’s Day to express their interest in selling, said Greg Royer, president and CEO of Royer’s.
“Peggy and Steve and their team have worked hard to build a loyal customer base,” Greg Royer said. “We are grateful that the Progins looked to Royer’s when they decided to sell.”
Royer’s is sending a letter to Lebanon Valley Flowers customers to welcome them into the Royer’s family. Recipients can take the letter to any Royer’s store to receive a free rose.
Royer’s celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2012. Andrew Royer, manager of Royer’s in Lebanon, represents the fourth generation to work in the family business, which his great-grandmother Hannah Royer started.
“We’re eager to meet the Lebanon Valley Flowers customers and welcome them to our store,” Andrew Royer said. “This is a busy season with proms, Mother’s Day, graduations, weddings. We’re here to provide excellent customer service no matter what the need is.”
Royer’s Lebanon store is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Thursday; 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday; and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. The store can be reached at 273-2683.
Prom time players
Spring is in the air, and prom season is upon us.
Barry Spengler of Royer’s joined Fox 43’s Morning News to talk about the latest floral trends for proms, from keepsake bracelets and floral rings to wrist cuffs and arm corsages. And for the guys, there are boutonnieres that attach with a magnet.
You can view Barry’s visit with Ashley Palutis below.
Meanwhile, Royer’s in Camp Hill is holding a “prom party” from 4 to 7 p.m. April 16-17. It’s an opportunity to see the latest design trends, colors and flowers, and to receive a 15 percent discount on corsage and boutonniere orders. Refreshments will be served.
‘Wow!’ factor: bridal event honors Royer’s
The Premier Bridal Event 2013 took place on Jan. 20, but Royer’s brought the warmth and colors of summer to the Eden Resort in Lancaster.
In fact, Royer’s display – decorated for a summer wedding – recently garnered a “Wow! Award” from the event’s sponsor, Weddings Year Round Bridal Magazine.
For the display, which occupied most of the ballroom, we decorated a gazebo, archway, altar, centerpieces, cake. Royer’s worked closely with Eagle Rental of Stevens, Pa., which provided the hardscapes that we decorated.
Meanwhile, Royer’s also brought home a Public Choice Award from the bridal show. Our Valentine’s Day-themed centerpiece took first place in the Lancaster/Lebanon/Berks Division.
Below, you’ll find pictures of our Valentine’s Day centerpiece, of our wedding display, and of Cheryl Brill, Royer’s vice president of retail operations, with our awards.
For more information about how Royer’s can help make your wedding day truly memorable with flowers that complement your décor, click here.
Getting hip to the hop: Cable-11 visits corporate complex for Easter
Leave the hiding to the Easter Bunny. We love showing off all of the Easter activity taking place this month at Royer’s.
Visiting our corporate complex in Lebanon today was Blue Ridge Cable 11 News of Ephrata, specifically reporter Peter Taraborelli and photographer John Hershey. They spoke about hyacinths, lilies, hydrangea and other flowers and plants of the season with Barry Spengler, Royer’s vice president of operations.
Record attendance at Saturday’s Royer’s Kids Club event
There’s a spring in our steps after Saturday’s Royer’s Kids Club event, and not just because it involved hyacinth plants for Easter.
We’ve been offering kids club events for six-plus years but never had a turnout as big as the 517 children who joined us this time. Thanks to the kids and the parents who joined us.
This is our biggest year of kids club events ever, with three more to come:
June 22: Royer’s Stems Hunger
Aug. 17: Back to school
Oct. 26: Halloween/Bouquets for Books
Remember that it’s free for children ages 5 to 12 to join the kids club: just stop by any store or fill out the registration form on our website.
We look forward to seeing another big crowd in June.
Flower tips for any wedding budget
When it comes to weddings, tears of joy are one thing; crying over a broken budget is quite another.
Barry Spengler of Royer’s Flowers participated in Fox 43’s wedding week in February. He shared with host Courtney Laydon tips on colors and textures that can work with any sized budget.
“What I love about this is a lot of people think flowers and they think, oh my goodness, it’s going to be so expensive,” Courtney said. “But it doesn’t have to be, right?”
“If you have a little budget, that’s fine,” Barry said. “If you have a big budget, that’s fine.”
Getting the most out of your Valentine’s roses
Valentine’s season can last well beyond Feb. 14. In fact, by following some simple steps, your roses should provide you with a week or more of enjoyment.
All Royer’s arrangements arrive in vases that contain a mixture of water and flower food (FloraLife, in our case). You just need to make sure that there is enough water over time as roses are surprisingly thirsty.
Other tips for getting the most out of your roses:
For roses that arrive in a vase:
• If your roses don’t begin to open within a few days, remove them from the vase, re-cut their stems and return them to the vase. Although not necessary, cut the stems under water if possible.
• Keep the flowers cool: the cooler they are, the less water they will lose through their stems and petals.
• Add water in a sink so that any spillage will not damage a table or other furniture that the roses are sitting on.
For roses that arrive in a box or loose:
• Put water in the vase and add the packet of flower food that came with your delivery.
• Cut approximately one inch off the bottom of the rose to create a fresh pathway for water to work its way up the stem.
• Remove any foliage or thorns that may get stuck when the stems are placed in the vase.
• If you add any greens, make sure that any foliage is above the water. Foliage under water promotes unwanted bacterial growth.
By following those steps, you’re ready for the final, most important step of all: enjoy your roses!
Love comes to town
With less than one week to go until Valentine’s Day, roses arrived en masse this morning at Royer’s distribution center in Lebanon. We captured some of the many sights as employees prepped the flowers for use by the central design department, which will create thousands of arrangements for the holiday. Meanwhile, vans arrived from Royer’s stores to pick up still more flowers.
Local florist bests big delivery sites in Yahoo! ‘Savvy Spender’ comparison
Yahoo!’s “Savvy Spender” set out to review four of the top floral delivery sites: 1800Flowers.com, ProFlowers.com, Teleflora and FTD.
But at the end of the day — or approximately 2:40 of this video clip — it was a local florist that outshone the big online retailers.
“To see how a local florist compares to the online experience, we ordered a dozen roses from our neighborhood florist,” said Savvy Spender host Vera Gibbons. “It was by far the most impressive arrangement with the longest stems, the most vibrant roses, and beautiful accents.
“Remember, roses travel all the way from South America, and it takes a professional florist to rehydrate them properly.”