1-800-Flowers.com Sales Bloom, but not Income

LongIsland.com

The Carle Place-based company's revenues are rising, but not income as it invests more in marketing and tech.

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This is one of the best-selling bouquets at 1-800-Flowers-com, where revenue is up.

Roses aren’t the only things that are red: these days So was 1-800-Flowers.com  in its most recent quarter, although the company was distinctly in the black for the full year.

The Carle Place-based company widened its fourth quarter net loss to $8.3 million from $8.2 million a year ago, while revenues grew 12.8 percent to $259.4 million from $229.9 million.

That was boosted by the shift of Easter holiday into the fourth quarter from the third a year ago.

1-800-Flowers-.com  attracted nearly 1 million new customers, or 952,000, during the fourth quarter, as  2.2 million customers placed orders, including  57.1 percent who were repeat customers.

The company’s annual net income slipped to $34.8 million from $40.8 million, as revenues rose 8.4 percent to $1.25 billion. 

The company attracted 3.1 million new customers during the year as 7.2 million customers placed orders, including 57.3 percent who were repeat customers.

1-800-Flowers pointed to “strong growth across all three of the company’s business segments” as revenues grew.

But marketing and sales cost for the quarter rose to $77.9 million from $67.1 million a year ago, and technology and development expenses rose to $11.1 million from $10.2 million a year ago.

General and administrative costs also rose to $23.2 million from $19.3 million a year ago as total operating expenses increased to $117.2 million from $104.4 million a year ago.

CEO Chris McCann said the company had been “investing behind our lead Harry & David and 1-800-Flowers.com brands” and he is pleased to “have exceeded our growth targets.”

“We will continue to invest in strategic marketing and merchandising programs across our brands,” McCann said, “as well as in innovations that enhance our number one product – customer experience.”