You might plan to send flowers to a friend for their birthday, an anniversary, or another special occasion and thus search for an online store. However, instead of shopping online, you could visit your local florist, where you'll benefit from several in-person advantages. 

Personalised Service

Meeting with a florist, you'll get more personalised service than if you shop online, where you'll tend to blur into a faceless number, no matter how much the business tries. In-person, you can discuss your friend's favourite colours and flower preferences. A florist will offer suggestions and variations that you won't get from a run-of-the-mill online order. Many online businesses don't offer phone calls where you can discuss possibilities at length. If they do, you'll probably wait on hold, or you'll have to resort to a limited live chat. Many florists, though, will enthusiastically provide creative ideas, and you'll end up with a unique bouquet.

Economical

A florist can focus on seasonal flowers and those that offer the best value to help you stick to your budget. They might suggest a unique combination of flowers and foliage to stretch your dollars further. Plus, in addition to receiving better service in person, you won't receive a processing fee at a local florist, as you might from an online order. 

See Colours in Person

By visiting a florist, you'll see the true colours of different flowers and be able to choose a better bouquet as a result.  When you're looking at online floral-arrangement pictures, the colours often don't display accurately. The hues you see depend on how your phone or computer screen displays them.

Fresh Flowers

Your local florist will offer fresh flowers that will last for as long as possible so your friend can enjoy their gorgeous colours for longer. If you purchase flowers online, you don't know their freshness — they could wilt after a day or two. You might have experienced disappointment yourself with a bouquet that has turned brown and limp very quickly. You probably don't want your friend to go through a similar experience. 

Delivery Options

Even if you don't want to visit your florist personally, they can deliver your bouquet either to your home or to your friend. You can phone the florist and talk about flower and colour combinations. That way, you'll still enjoy personalised service in a way you wouldn't with an online store. And you'll get it without leaving your home or navigating any traffic.

Contact a florist in your area to learn more.