If you have asked yourself this question as you think about your strategy for the holiday, here are five reasons why you should partner with FTD:

• Florist orders in December were up 23% to prior year and we are planning to be up more than 50% for Valentine's Day - we're on a roll!
• Average order values are up 5% and we're projecting an average order value of $80 for Valentine's Day.
• Our assortment is very efficient with only seven codified containers (most used for more than one arrangement) and clear glass vases. Plus, our top five is forecasted to generate 50% of our total orders!
• A buy back on select codified containers and fresh flowers is available to make sure you are prepared for FTD orders at no risk to you.
• The way we route orders to florists is changing starting in March to reward florists that are great partners with FTD. Keeping your Mercury on and taking orders throughout Valentine's Day is critical because suspending will reduce your future orders. Watch this video to learn how to manage your incoming order capacity for Valentine's Day.

Starting on Monday, February 3, FTD and ProFlowers will both begin to limit the products available for delivery on February 13 and 14 to only the curated Valentine's Day collection, select sympathy items and four birthday items [BD2, B03*, B05 and D5-4894] to help you simplify your operations.

Starting on Monday, February 10, the only items available to select for delivery on February 13 and 14 will be the Valentine's Day collection and four sympathy items [EO-6059, E8-4812, C28-4893, S9-4979].

*Updated item compared to previous message.

Keeping FTD's 50% order growth projected in mind, it is critical you purchase the containers and fresh flowers you need to this projection.

To help you determine how to best determine the mix of products by item you may receive from FTD, we have created a product calculator that allows you to enter in the total number of orders you plan to fill for FTD and populate your order count. If there is an item you are not planning to carry, you should select “NO” in the dropdown to remove it from the mix.

The Valentine's Day codified assortment features a streamlined list of flowers which is 35% less than last year to help you simplify your purchasing and production. FTD Flower Exchange is offering competitive pricing on the bulk flowers you need most for Valentine’s Day - roses, roses, roses! Reach out to your FTD Flower Exchange rep at 800.767.4000 today for pricing and shipping options.

As consumer expectations continue to rise, real-time delivery confirmations are more important than ever. FTD is offering a $0.25 per order credit on any delivery confirmed using the FREE Mercury Mobile app on February 13-14 by 5:30 pm (local time). Learn more about the Mercury Mobile app by watching our recently recorded how-to webinar on YouTube.