Financial Policies
Money related policies
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Cold Chain Policy
Mike Sr. in front of the new cooler (2020) Our main logistics cooler & front office area. Live pricing screen added in 2025. The new cooler before it was filled w/flowers!
The cold chain is essential to keeping cut flowers fresh, vibrant, and long-lasting. From harvest to delivery, maintaining consistent temperatures (typically between 34-40°F, depending on species) slows down the natural aging process of flowers. This minimizes wilting, discoloration, and waste while ensuring your customers get the longest vase life possible.
Cold storage isn’t optional - it’s a standard every quality wholesale florist follows. Our products stay in our climate-controlled cooler until they're loaded for delivery. By contrast, flowers shipped through online "fauxsale" marketplaces via FedEx or UPS often spend 12+ hours at room temperature. Even their fastest overnight service can't compete with a real regional distributor when it comes to freshness and quality.
While proper refrigeration should be a given, we did our best to take things a step further. Our custom-built walk-in cooler (circa 2020) was designed with high-efficiency insulation (R50+), tight air sealing, and precise humidity control. Add in ethylene gas filtration and grow-room grade water filtration, and we’re proud to say: your flowers are stored in one of the most carefully maintained coolers in the industry - not the biggest, but definitely one of the best. ☺
Delivery Costs
All Same-Day Deliveries $16.75*
No Minimum Order Since 1975! ♥
*Policy Starting Aug 2025:
Orders $1000+: $0.00 Delivery
Orders $100-$999: $16.75 Delivery
Orders Under $100.00: $25.00 Delivery
About The Change:
Overs with $1000 or more in flowers & supplies will now qualify for free shipping w/same day delivery. ☺ Orders between $100 and $999 will remain the same as usual, at $16.75.
Rather than discontinuing our longstanding policy of "no minimum order" during this time of inflation & tariffs, we've made the tough choice to slightly tweak the delivery charge for sub-$100 "fill-in" deliveries, to ensure these orders aren't processed at a loss.
With these new policies in effect, our data suggests the vast majority of customers we work with can expect to pay the same or less moving forward! ♥
Returns & Credits
Our intention is to deliver our customers beautiful & reliable cut flowers & greens. To support that goal, we offer a 24 hour window after delivery to request a claim for credit on any perishable products deemed to be damaged, unusable, or in otherwise undesirable condition. Starting in June 2025, all credit requests must be submitted on our website, using the below form:
Credit / Purchase Terms
Universal Payment Policy:
All customers (including those who prefer to pay with checks) must have a Credit Card Authorization Form on file with us in order to purchase. (Available in either .PDF or .DOCX format)
COD Terms:
All new accounts and most standard accounts are strictly COD only, with payment due upon pick up or delivery of product. If a check, cash, or credit card is not provided at the time of pickup or delivery, the backup payment method on the CC Authorization card will be charged.
NET Terms:
We reserve the right to offer special terms to long-term established accounts who consistently purchase over a certain threshold each month with excellent payment/credit history. This is done on a strictly case-by-case basis, and always in writing. For customers who qualify for NET terms, all invoices are due within 7, 15, or 30 days of the invoice date (NET 7, NET 15, NET 30). Payment must be received in full by the due date to avoid any disruption in service. Past-due debts may be subject to 1.5% monthly interest charges (18%/yr). Delinquent accounts are subject to our Late Payment / Collections Policy.
More Information:
For questions regarding billing or to request a copy of an invoice, please contact our main office.
Late Payment & Collections Policy
Accounts not paid within the agreed-upon terms are subject to a finance charge of 1.5% per month (18% annually) on any past due balance. Non-payment may result in the suspension of services, cancellation of standing orders, and revocation of order privileges. If payment is not received on time based upon an account's terms, the account may be referred to a collections agency, and the customer will be responsible for all associated collection costs, legal fees, and interest incurred. In extreme cases, New England Wholesale Florist also reserves the right to take legal action through small claims or superior court.
We reserve the right to report verified instances of fraud, theft, or other forms of intentional misconduct to relevant authorities and, where appropriate, to other wholesale distributors, and suppliers. This measure is taken solely to help protect the integrity of the wholesale community through and to prevent future losses within the industry. Any such communication will be factual in nature and limited to substantiated incidents per Connecticut law.
Account Volume Discounts:
Customers who support us with more of their business get access to better pricing. Here's how it works:
Tier 1:
Base Wholesale Pricing
Under $5K/mo
The "Normal" prices you see listed on our Price List page. Purchase a half or full case for better discounts, and lean on individualized standing order pricing to nail-down the profit margin.
Tier 2:
Mid-Line Pricing (ML)
$5,000+/mo
Never pay more than half-case pricing; even when purchasing 1-2 bunches at a time. This discount tier never pays "loose" price, and can count on better individualized pricing on request.
Tier 3:
Last-Line Pricing (LL)
$10,000+/mo
Get box prices on everything; even single bunches. Buy a box of anything and get an additional variable % off, for below-box pricing exclusive to this discount tier.
Please Note:
1) ML & LL discounts do not apply to greens or supplies ♥
2) All customer types qualify for the same global discounts
3) Accounts must be in good standing for discounts to apply
4) Delivery/freight fees don't count as flower revenue
5) Collective purchases disqualify ML & LL-tier pricing
Standing Orders:
A standing order is a recurring, pre-scheduled, weekly delivery of fresh flowers or supplies where the contents, quantities, and prices are predetermined. To learn more, please contact your sales rep with a list of things you'd like to be included in the quote.
Benefits Of Standing Orders:
Consistency:
Guaranteed access to high-demand items, avoiding out-of-stock issues.
Convenience:
Saves time by reducing the need to reorder manually every week.
Price Stability:
Get discounted, consistent pricing on everything in a standing order.
Planning Efficiency:
Helps staff plan designs knowing what product will be on hand.
Holiday Double:
Get double your standing at the same price on holidays. (Optional)
Two "Skips" Per Year
Skip your standing 2X yearly with no price change or penalty.
Interested? Contact your sales rep for a quote!
(Please have a list of products, quantities, and ideal delivery days ready ♥)
Basics Of Purchasing Wholesale Flowers
Helpful Info For Newer Buyers
How Wholesale Flower Pricing Works
Loose Price ($$$)
"Loose Price" purchases of cut flowers indicate less-than-case purchases. Some flowers are sold by the bunch, others by the stem. In either case, a single stem or bunch would be considered a "loose price" product.
Half-Case Price ($$)
A "Half-Case Price" is a slight discount over purchasing loose, but not as big of a discount as a full case. Half-case purchases are a great option for customers looking for price breaks, but don't need a whole case.
Case Price ($)
"Case Price" is the full wholesale discount, and a true wholesale purchase of flowers. Case purchases require the least amount of handling for distributors like us, so we're able to offer our absolute best prices with case pricing.
⚠ Important Note ⚠
Additional discounts may be available through our global discount program, for customers whose monthly volume averages over $5,000 minimum.
How Grades Of Cut Flowers Work
Not every cut flower is the same, and most are sold in standardized formats. Grading can be a tough thing to describe definitively, since some flowers carry different grading systems, but we'll try to explain the basics below.
"Fancy" (Medium Grade)
"Fancy" is the basic run-of-the-mill smaller size of many cut flowers like Alstroemeria, Carnations, and so on. Fancy Grade is a great "budget" option, but usually features fewer (or smaller) blooms, fewer laterals, and/or shorter stems than Select Grade.
"Select" (High Grade)
"Select" is the most popular workhorse grade of flowers most Florists choose to stock and work with. Select strikes a great balance with a great price combined with more (or larger) blooms, more laterals, and/or longer stems than Fancy Grade flowers provide.
"Premium" (Very High Grade)
"Premium" is the priciest option, but features the largest blooms, longer stems, and the best overall quality. These aren't always a great budget option for most types of design work, but are oftentimes special ordered for higher-end events and weddings.
⚠ Important Note ⚠
You won’t see “Standard” grade pictured above - and for good reason. This budget-tier option sits below “Fancy” in quality, with fewer blooms, shorter stems, and lower overall standards. It’s typically used by mass-market bouquet makers and found at grocery stores or gas stations. At New England Wholesale Florist, we choose not to stock “Standard” grade for most flowers because we know your customers can tell the difference - and so can you. 😉
DOs and DONTs Of Wholesale Flowers:
Do Know How To Process Flowers:
Flowers are perishable, and caring for them after they are purchased from a wholesale distributor is a big responsibility. Maintaining the cold chain is the #1 concern, but cutting and standing flowers up in treated water is also critically important. It is a customer's responsibility to research how to process, treat, and store their flowers before purchasing.
Do Expect Special Order Consultations:
Wedding consultations for custom purchases from South America, Canada, California, and elsewhere in the world are absolutely part of our job, and we're always happy to help. You tell us what you are looking for, and our job is to ensure it arrives on time, in great shape, and for the best price possible.
Do Leave Plenty Of Time:
Need something specific for an event or special occasion? We're always happy to help! Our products are sourced from Ecuador, Colombia, California, Canada, and Thailand. Prep time to ensure our products can catch the next boat, plane, or truck are absolutely critical. Please give us a much notice as possible for specific special orders. (We try to keep all the basics in stock, of course! ☺)
Don't Expect Design Consultations:
Wholesale distributors aren't design consultants. It is a customer's responsibility to know how many of each flower they'll need to produce a certain aesthetic, and how much extra to buy to cover incidentals.
Don't Expect 1-on-1 Service During Logistics Hours:
Regional Distributors of perishable products get busy during morning logistics hours. We've got to pull thousands of flowers, perform quality inspections, pack them, and ship them ASAP to honor our same-day delivery service. (It's exciting, though a bit hectic to the uninitiated! ♥) Our trucks leave at 10:00-10:30AM for delivery, and things typically settle down after that point. If you are looking for a special order consultation, or to purchase some specifics from us in person, it's always worth waiting until 11:00AM or later for the best experience.
Don't Expect A Retail Florist Experience:
We're a wholesale distribution warehouse working with pallets & cases of product - not a retail flower shop! If you are a consumer looking to purchase flowers, please keep in mind that accounts with no tax ID are classified as "Retail Purchases" at our facility. Retail purchases are charged sales tax, and won't qualify for the same wholesale prices companies qualify for, in an effort to protect our valued professional florist & designer customers. We strongly recommend working with a retail florist for consumer purchases.
Help w/Finding Us:
The below information should help commercial drivers find us:
Our Address:
161 Woodford Ave.
Unit 58B
Plainville, CT 06062
Alt. Address:
Across-The-Street:
180 Woodford Ave.
Plainville, CT 06062
GPS Coordinates:
Copy/Paste Into Your GPS:
41.671317, -72.854518
(Our driveway entrance)
Reference Images:
