Dubai – A year ago, the Pará state native, Dubai-based Christiane Coelho Williams decided to do business with roses, lilies, orchids, sunflowers and other flowers. Alongside a Dutch partner, the Brazilian woman, who has lived in the United Arab Emirates for over a decade, turned into a businesswoman and opened Internet Florist, an e-store for bouquets and flower arrangements.
The functioning is simple. Willians enters into partnerships with local flower shops, which tend to the product and the logistics, while Willians sells the flowers and supervises operations to make sure deliveries meet the customers’ orders. The company is currently active in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, but there are expansion plans both within and outside of the Emirates.
“In a month we should be operating in Sharjah, and by June next year I hope to be in five other countries: Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Jordan,” she says. Her partner is responsible for international expansion, after which Williams takes charge of sales management.
The company has a different website for each location –www.flowers4dubai.com in Dubai and www.flowers4abudhabi.com in Abu Dhabi.
Apart from taking care of sales, she helps customers pick the flowers. “Sometimes the customer wants something special, so they ask me for ideas and I speak to the supplier,” she says. Williams sells an average of 40 to 50 bouquets per month, but sales increase on special dates.
“Come Valentine’s Day, we have our own driver [for deliveries] because the demand is strong,” she says. On the last February 14th, when the date is celebrated in most Northern Hemisphere countries, Williams sold 200 bouquets.
Sales also increase on Mother’s Day. Luckily for the businesswoman, the date is celebrated on different dates in each country. In March and April, she delivers to mothers in the Emirates, but the orders come from England, the United States and Brazil. The customers also include local mothers. “Many people from other countries place orders because they have family here. I get a lot of orders from abroad,” she says.
Ramadan is the top-selling Arab holiday. “When Ramadan ends, people exchange gifts. They send fruit and flower baskets,” she says.
When asked if Arabs send flowers outside of special dates, she says “the Arabs are very romantic, and they make up most of our clients.” According to the businesswoman, red roses are the best-seller.
The most extravagant orders she has ever received include that of a Saudi prince who ordered three bouquets of 100 white roses each, to be delivered on the first day at work to his girlfriend, a TV presenter who lives in Dubai.
Apart from selling to the general public, Williams has entered into a partnership with Emirates Airline. Her company offers discounts to company employees.
Prior to having her own company, Williams worked with events for ten years. Now, she dedicates to her business and works only at events in which the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce participates, like the Big 5 construction fair, where she spoke to the ANBA team.
Service:
Internet Florist
www.flowes4dubai.com
www.flowers4abudhabi.com
Emails:
christiane@internetflorist.com
christiane@flowers4dubai.com
christiane@flowers4abudhabi.com
Telephone: +971 50 3761641
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
