Fleuriste

From Trend to Shelf: Developing Products for Modern Consumers

Mini Case Study: FlowerTime

Background

About FlowerTime

FlowerTime is a florist located in Singapore's Central Business District, known for its fresh flower bouquets for birthdays, celebrations, and gifting.


Over the past year, the team has noticed changes in customer buying patterns. While bouquet sales remain steady, there are signs that customer expectations are shifting. The product development team has been asked to explore new product opportunities.

Market Research

What the team observed

Trend 1 — Shift in Everyday Floral Purchases

👥

In-store & online interactions

  • "Something I can put on my desk, can act as a decoration as well"
  • "Not a normal bouquet, something more interesting"
  • "I want something that's very lasting, with absolutely no care required"
  • "Sustainability is so important to me, I want something that doesn't come wrapped in a million pieces of papers"
📱

Social media observations

  • "This is so cute, perfect for my desk"
  • "I would totally get this just to make my workspace nicer"
  • "I can't wait for this to hit Singapore, I would send so many to all my friends"
  • "Oh wow, I would totally like to get preserved flowers arrangements that lasts instead of normal flowers"

↑ Short-form videos featuring preserved flower arrangements: higher saves & shares vs. traditional bouquet posts

Trend 2 — Seasonal Corporate Gifting Enquiries

🏢

Requests from corporate personal assistants

  • "Do you have something more premium than a bouquet?"
  • "This is for a client, so it needs to look presentable"
  • "Something that can be displayed in the office"

Concentrated around Chinese New Year & Christmas

Discussion Checkpoint 1

Making Sense of the Market

What is changing in how customers are buying flowers?
Trend 1 → Target customer
Trend 2 → Target customer
Everyday / Consumer
Corporate Gifting
Both equally
Internal Alignment

Product Direction

Following team discussion, FlowerTime agreed to focus on young working professionals as the primary target segment. The new product should:

Product requirements

  • Fit into customers' daily environments (desks, small spaces)
  • Suitable for just-because gifting, not only occasions
  • Offer a different value proposition from traditional bouquets
  • Reflect growing interest in sustainability
  • Require little to no maintenance for the end user
Discussion Checkpoint 2

Product Development Strategy

Based on your selected target market, define the direction of the product development strategy.

Fresh
Preserved
Bouquet
Vase Arrangement
Enclosed Display (e.g. bell jar)
Entry-level
Mid-tier
Premium
New Product
Modification
Line Extension
Product Features

Product Features Considerations

During the discussion, the team highlighted several key considerations for the new product based on customer behaviour and feedback. The product should:

  • Be compact and suitable for small spaces, such as office desks or shelves
  • Require little to no maintenance, especially for busy working professionals
  • Be visually appealing and suitable for gifting, even without a specific occasion
  • Be easy to display, without the need for additional setup
  • Minimise excessive packaging, in line with growing interest in sustainability
Discussion Checkpoint 3

Defining Product Specifications

Select the materials and quantities for your bell jar. Set your markup to calculate the recommended selling price.

Bell Jar Cost Calculator

Preserved Flowers
Unit Price
Qty
Subtotal
Accessories
Unit Price
Qty
Subtotal
2.5×
$15.00
Material Cost
—
After Markup
—
Delivery Charge
$0
Total Selling Price
—

Note: Unit prices are indicative. Labour and overhead not included. Delivery charge is fixed at $15.00.

How-to Guide

Creating your own bell jar arrangement

Follow these steps to assemble a preserved flower bell jar from scratch.

1

Prepare the foam

Cut a block of floral foam into a square column with the following dimensions:

  • Base: approximately one-quarter the width of your bell jar
  • Height: approximately one-half to two-thirds the height of your glass cover

For example, for a 12 × 18 cm bell jar:

  • Base: 3 cm × 3 cm square
  • Height: 9–11 cm tall
2

Secure the foam

Apply hot glue to the bottom of the foam column and press it firmly onto the centre of the bell jar base. Hold in place until set.

3

Wire your roses

Pierce each rose horizontally through the base of the head using two wires, forming a cross about 0.5 cm above where the stem meets the petals. Fold all four wire ends down and twist them together tightly into a single stem.

Cut your wired stems to length before inserting:

  • Large roses: 4–5 cm (about 3 fingers' width). Place these toward the top of the arrangement where they can stand upright.
  • Small roses: approximately 3 cm (about 2 fingers' width). Distribute these throughout to add variety and prevent the design from looking flat.
4

Build the arrangement

You can choose to start from the base and work upward in a circular fashion, or place your main flowers (roses) first and fill around them — either approach works. As you build, periodically lower the glass cover to check the fit. Flowers should not be touching the glass at any point, and the arrangement should be wider at the base and taper toward the top.

  • Hydrangeas: Cut natural stems to about 1.5 cm (about 1 finger's width). Use in small bunches distributed all around for coverage and fullness. Avoid clustering them too tightly — this will make the overall design look dense and compact.
  • Roses: Large roses sit toward the top; small roses go throughout the arrangement.
  • Baby's breath / caspia, bunny's tail, lavender: Light and airy — not for coverage. Tuck in small bunches throughout for texture and visual interest.
5

Add fairy lights

Wind the fairy lights loosely around the inside of the bell jar before placing it over the arrangement, leaving the battery controller outside. Gently lower the glass cover over the finished arrangement.

And you're done.
Video Tutorial

Watch the full tutorial

Follow along with the step-by-step video guide to assembling your preserved flower bell jar.

▶   Watch the tutorial video