BY GILLIAN SUTTON
Owner
Flowers by Gillian

As the winter holidays approach, I wanted to share some helpful information regarding online flower orders.

When you order through large online services (such as Teleflora, FTD, or 1-800-Flowers Ruth’s Roses), you are using a middleman. Local florists act as subcontractors for these companies, which means a significant portion of your payment goes toward order-taking fees, commissions, and system surcharges rather than the flowers themselves.

In other words, small local businesses cannot absorb these extra costs and the arrangement becomes smaller. These large companies often allow substitutions that may result in an arrangement different from what you intended. Additionally, ordering through these third parties prevents the filling florist from contacting you directly if changes are needed.

To ensure you receive the freshest flowers and the best value, we always recommend ordering directly from a local florist.

When you order directly from a local florist, we can discuss your vision, customize your arrangement, and accommodate special requests such as pet-friendly options, allergy sensitivities, or specific flower choices.

You can reach our local florist,  Flowers by Gillian directly by phone at 505-663-0012 from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM, Monday through Saturday. Our shop is located at 3801 Arkansas and is open M-F 10-7 and Saturday 11-3. You can also find our information on Google, Instagram, Facebook, and in the local newspapers.

Tip: If you are ever unsure whether you are ordering from a true local florist, ask for their physical store address. If they do not have a brick-and-mortar location near the recipient, they are an online order taker.

Thank you for supporting local business.