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James Cress Florist, is a family owned shop where people can meet their floral needs for numerous occasions. Now the owners are going to consolidate their Woodbury location with their existing stores in Smithtown and Port Jefferson.
This business was founded in New York City in 1903. For over three generations, James Cress Florist has been New York's award-winning best florist on Long Island, according to the florist’s website.
“James Cress really got famous from their very elaborate weddings,” Nicholas Karatzas said. “We’ve heard stories that James Cress back in the day was like the biggest, the best wedding flower shop that you can go to. Like you only get the best and craziest stuff.”
The new phase to considerate the business would include focusing on digital marketing, website optimization and setting up processes. In addition, they include a same-day delivery system to numerous locations on Long Island.
“51 percent of our 180,000-strong customer base resides on Long Island, 49 percent live elsewhere,” Nicholas said. “Intriguingly, 91 percent of our orders are sent to Long Island locals, leaving 9 percent for those outside. This disparity isn't just a statistic to us; it's a clear indication of untapped potential and the opportunity to transform 49 percent of our customer base into multi-recipient repeat clients.”
The family have also opened a new wedding center behind the Smithtown building. They plan to drive growth in the wedding industry where brides can have a space to prepare for their weddings.
“We’re tapping into that market more aggressively,” said Stefan Karatzas, fellow employee of James Cress Florist. “We do about 400-500 weddings a year so we need more space for outgrowing.
Birthdays, weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs, anniversaries, graduations, etc. James Cress Florist plans to keep communicating and serving their customers for all of their floral needs.
“This is more than just a consolidation; it's a significant shift in our business model and a foray into the national market,” Nicholas said. “We have a goal of delivering 1 billion smiles one day and we have every intention to make that a reality.”
