Get All Access for $5/mo

Ferns N Petals Is Thriving Like Never Before As millennials and Gen Z increasingly celebrate occasions with quality gifting, Meeta Gutgutia, Co-Founder, Ferns N Petals, elaborates how the brand is enabling increased customer retention and higher ticket sizes to facilitate franchise profitability

By Ashita Marya

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Shutterstock

Ferns N Petals is India's largest flower and gifts retailer and one of the largest flower retailers in the world with a network of 330+ outlets across 120 cities. Started by Vikaas Gutgutia in 1994, the brand has served more than 6 million customers both online and offline. Excerpts from the interview:

What are the changes you have observed in consumer behaviour over the last few years that make your brand irresistible for franchisees and customers?

We have observed that the young generation enthusiastically celebrates every occasion with the same level of excitement; hence they govern our success. The consumers have now become more aware about the quality of products as well as creative flower arrangements and personalised gifting. We regularly take valuable feedback from our esteemed customers and improvise accordingly. Therefore, we have been enjoying customer patronage for our offline and online business over the past 25 years.

Ferns N Petals is expanding beyond its core business of flowers and gifting and has ventured into the FMCG, hospitality, entertainment and content creation sectors. How has been the response for all such verticals?

We have forayed into new businesses to cater to the demands from Gen Z. So far, we have been successfully catering to the millennials but as part of the future strategy, our endeavour is to have Gen Z as our patrons too. The response from these different verticals has been quite encouraging. In fact, our bakery format FNP Cakes "N' More has performed excellently and we have opened 65+ outlets within two years across 42 cities.

In addition, we are now successfully running two hotels – Udman and Opulent in South Delhi – and eight luxurious wedding venues in Delhi NCR. Further, we have started our own catering under the name "U Kitchen.' Apart from this, we have recently launched a YouTube channel "Live by FNP Media' to promote budding artists. In our core business, we have added 75+ floral outlets in the last financial year in 39 cities. Overall, we have achieved more than 50% growth in the retail business.

What are the strategies you are devising to increase your franchisees' profitability and recurring-revenues?

Entering new businesses is part of our strategy to create multiple revenue streams for our franchise partners. After having created a niche in the flowers and gifting space, we entered the cakes and plants business and we are now focusing on personalised gifting to further widen our retail offerings. The addition of new categories always results in more footfalls, better conversions, increased ticket size, and thus the profitability of franchisees. This also empowers customers with more choices and thus loyalty and repeat purchases improve drastically.

What are your expansion plans?

We are now planning to expand our retail footprint to include south-eastern countries. We already have stores located in Singapore and Dubai. In addition, we are in the process of unveiling a couple of five-star hotels. We are also planning to launch our IPO very soon.

FRANCHISE FACTS

Established: 1994

Franchising since: 2000

Total outlets: 330

Investment: Rs 8-10 lakhs

Area: 150-300 sq. feet

Breakeven: 8-10 months

Expansion: Pan-India

Ashita Marya

Consulting Editor

Experienced Consulting Editor with a demonstrated history of working in the Entrepreneur/franchisemedia industry. Skilled in Content management, media Strategy. Strong B2B content specialization.
Business News

Apple Is Adding ChatGPT to iPhones This Week. Here's How It Works.

ChatGPT will take over questions that Siri can't answer.

Marketing

He Pitched His First Business at 12 and Sold a Company for 8 Figures When He Was 23. Here's This Gen Z Marketing Expert's Next Big Move.

Griffin Haddrill built a marketing empire working with artists like Justin Bieber and Lil Nas X. Learn how he tapped into Gen Z's digital culture and turned viral campaigns into a business model.

Growing a Business

5 Effective Strategies to Boost Your Business's Online Presence

Boosting your online presence in 2025 is the key to success for businesses looking to grow. Working on your branding and reputation management is important to drive more sales and improve conversion.

Growing a Business

How to Spot Trends and Anticipate Market Shifts Before Your Competition

Discover how to identify disruptive trends before your competitors by mastering the art of anticipating market shifts. Learn strategies for staying ahead and gaining a competitive edge in business.

Leadership

As a Leader, Take These 5 Steps to Bridge the Gap Between Innovation and Execution

Companies that want to turn ideas into action must align their people and listen to their customers.

Leadership

How to Master the Art of Delegation — Lessons From Andrew Carnegie's Legacy

Here's what Andrew Carnegie can teach today's entrepreneurs about leadership, teamwork and effective delegation.