About us
 Welcome to Florist Porvoon Kukkatalo!
We offer a wide selection of traditional flower shop products, ranging from cut flowers, indoor plants, composts and fertilizers to containers, cards and printed forms of condolence or congratulations. We also make flower arrangements, deliver flowers locally, arrange deliveries both nationally and internationally, and offer an indoor plant care service, which is used mainly by companies. In addition, we rent indoor plants for various festive occasions and preserve wedding bouquets as beautiful framed pictures.
Please submit your order for a flower arrangement well in advance (wedding bouquets should be ordered at least 2 weeks before the wedding date; sympathy tributes and arrangements for christenings and other festive occasions preferably at least 4 days in advance). The more time our florists have to plan and prepare your order, the more satisfying the end result.
Arranged with skill and imagination, flowers turn into exquisite works of art, guaranteed to suit every occasion.
Orders can be submitted over the Internet, by phone or fax and of course by visiting our shop in person. We deliver flowers locally and arrange deliveries both nationally and internationally.
History
Florist Porvoon Kukkatalo was established in November 1964 by gardener Gunnar Bäck. It represented a completely new business concept: Porvoon Kukkatalo combined the services of a traditional florist and a nursery garden, which made it the first flower shop of its kind in Finland. The idea for this type of "florist of the future" came from Denmark, where Gunnar Bäck was completing his practical training period.
Kukkatalo today
Kukkatalo in 1986 |
The first business premises of Florist Porvoon Kukkatalo, built in 1964, covered an area of 150 square metres. This two-storey building was filled with natural light, making it an ideal environment for flowers and plants. One of the most distinctive features of Porvoon Kukkatalo has always been the atmosphere created by the structure and interior design of its premises: when customers walk in, their first impression is one of lushness and greenness, whatever the time of year. Porvoon Kukkatalo has also always taken pride of its clean, tidy premises and its fresh, healthy flowers and plants. (In an interview for the magazine Puutarha-Uutiset in 1965, Gunnar Bäck states that "it is important that customers see everything that goes on in our shop. Flower arrangements, for example, are made in the immediate vicinity of our packing area, in open view from our main entrance. This is good advertising".)
The premises built in 1964 soon became too small, and they were expanded in 1966, which increased the size of the shop to 500 square metres. A second expansion took place in 1986 as the old premises were virtually demolished and a new shop, 1,000 square metres in total, was built. The latest expansion in 1998 increased the size of the garage, nursery garden and storage area by about 200 square metres.
Ownership, Organisation and Personnel
In 1988 Gunnar Bäck hired Porvoon Kukkatalo to his children Ann-Len and Hans Bäck, who aquired Porvoon Kukkatalo in 1991.
In 2003, Ann-Len and Hans's brother, Olle Bäck, became a new shareholder.
In spring 2007 Porvoon Kukkatalo was aquired by Joensuun Kukkatalo
Porvoon Kukkatalo currently employs 5 florists, 3 gardeners, 2 salespersons and 2 students as florists.
Interest Groups
Customers: The clientele of Florist Porvoon Kukkatalo consists of the 45,000 people living in the Porvoo region, holiday-makers driving through Porvoo and various other occasional visitors in the city. We attract customers from all the areas surrounding Porvoo, including the cities of Helsinki and Loviisa. The majority of our clientele, however, consists of regular customers, who have come to rely on the services of Porvoon Kukkatalo over its 40 years in business.
Competitors: Florist Porvoon Kukkatalo is the largest flower shop in the Porvoo region and it has a steady clientele. Our competitors include the Porvoo market with its flower stalls and other florists in the region. (Despite the competition, every florist has its own clientele. From a customer's point of view, it is only positive that a range of options exists as this will allow a better chance to compare prices and the quality of flowers available.)
Suppliers: Florist Porvoon Kukkatalo has its own nursery, which is situated at the back of the actual shop premises. The nursery covers an area of 400 square metres, and it is used to grow certain varieties of seasonal flowers, such as Azaleas, Amaryllis and flowers for Mother's Day. The majority of our flowers arrive from various gardens around Finland. We also purchace flowers from a wholesale market in Helsinki 2-3 times a week. The flowers ordered from Central Finland are transported to Porvoo by Matkahuolto Freight Service the same day.
Florist Porvoon Kukkatalo has international suppliers as well. The majority of our indoor plants, for example, arrive from Denmark by lorries. Every week, a delivery of cut flowers and indoor plants arrives from the Aalsmeer flower auctions in the Netherlands.
Our Assets and Future
We base our success largely on our unique business idea and hard work. Ann-Len Bäck says that the real assets of Florist Porvoon Kukkatalo are its wide selection of products, customer-friendly opening hours (Mon-Fri 8am-8pm; Sat 8am-7pm; Sun 9am-7pm) and the fact that the shop is closed on only one single day of the year (Midsummer Day). Good customer service also entails that we are able to sell quality flowers and plants at reasonable prices. Maintaining competitiveness is one of the most important principles of business life. |
