Boesen the Florist

What Boesen the Florist does

Boesen the Florist is a third-generation, family-owned retail florist founded in 1923 in Des Moines, Iowa. The company operates a 60,000 square-foot design facility with seven greenhouses, a distribution center, and two retail storefronts (Beaver Avenue and Ingersoll Avenue), and serves the Greater Des Moines metro area including West Des Moines, Ankeny, Clive, Johnston, Urbandale, Waukee, Grimes, Indianola, and Norwalk. Revenue is generated through handcrafted floral arrangements, plants, gift baskets, and add-on modules including wedding and event design services, corporate gifting, Petal Rewards loyalty, gift cards, a 'Flowers for a Year' subscription, and a 'Design Your Own' custom bouquet builder. Pricing is unit-based for most offerings ($14.99-$500+) with custom quote-based pricing for wedding services; same-day delivery is a core capability.

The business model is a hybrid direct-to-consumer and B2B operation. Individual consumers (birthdays, anniversaries, get-well, new baby) and wedding couples are the primary segments, while funeral homes, healthcare facilities, senior living communities, and corporate accounts (including Principal Financial Group, Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield, FBL Financial, GuideOne Insurance, Allied Insurance, and F&G) provide recurring institutional volume. Go-to-market combines e-commerce (website, FlowerManager/GravityFree platform), two physical retail locations, telephone sales, an affiliate program, and content marketing across Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Operational technology is the differentiator: CO2 refrigeration and ethylene displacement systems extend flower lifespan, and the company is recognized as a top-25 U.S. florist by major floral wire services and a BBB Integrity Award recipient. The company is privately held with no external funding, parent company, or subsidiaries.

Name

Boesen the Florist

Legal name

Boesen The Florist

Website

https://boesen.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1923

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Boesen the Florist is a third-generation, family-owned retail florist founded in 1923 in Des Moines, Iowa, serving individual consumers, weddings, corporate accounts, healthcare facilities, funeral homes, and senior living communities across the Greater Des Moines metro with handcrafted floral arrangements, plants, gift baskets, and event design services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retail Florist

NAICS

Florists (45931), Nursery, Garden Center, and Farm Supply Retailers (44424)

SIC

Retail-Home Furniture, Furnishings & Equipment Stores (5700)

akta.pro primary industry

Event Floral Design & Arrangements (HSACAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Floral & Event Installations (HSACAAAC), Wedding & Bridal Floral (Bouquets, Boutonnieres, Corsages) (HSACAOAJ), Indoor Plants, Faux Florals & Botanical Décor Retail (CRAIACAG), Floral Preservation & Keepsake Services (HSACAOAL), Bridal Party & Group Beauty Services (HSALALAC)

Keywords

• Retail florist
• Floral arrangements
• Wedding flowers
• Sympathy flowers
• Flower delivery services

Headquarters

HQ city

Des Moines

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Floral Arrangements and Cut Flowers: Sale of handcrafted floral arrangements, bouquets, and cut flowers for various occasions including birthdays, anniversaries, sympathy, and everyday gifting. Products include roses, seasonal blooms, and specialty designs.
2. Plants and Greenery: Sale of flowering plants, green plants, orchids, and other greenery for homes, offices, and gifts.
3. Wedding and Event Services: Full-service wedding floral design including bouquets, ceremony and reception arrangements, table linens, and napkin rentals. Event consultation and planning services.
4. Gift Baskets: Gourmet gift baskets including fruit baskets, cookie baskets, and specialty food items. Partnership with local bakeries for complementary baked goods.
5. Delivery Services: Local flower delivery throughout Greater Des Moines metro area including same-day delivery. Delivery to homes, businesses, hospitals, funeral homes, and assisted living facilities.
6. Affiliate Program: Commission-based revenue from affiliate partners who promote products through their websites using provided banner and text links.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Boesen the Florist designs, sells, and delivers handcrafted floral arrangements, live plants, and gourmet gift baskets for personal, corporate, wedding, sympathy, and event occasions. Operations span two retail locations, a 60,000-square-foot design facility with seven greenhouses, an e-commerce storefront, and a same-day local delivery network serving the Greater Des Moines metro area, with national and international reach through floral wire-service partnerships.

Product overview

Boesen the Florist is a full-service florist offering a single integrated product portfolio centered on floral arrangements and related services. The core offering consists of handcrafted floral arrangements for occasions ranging from birthdays and anniversaries to sympathy and funeral tributes, complemented by live plants and gourmet gift baskets. The business operates across two retail locations and an e-commerce platform, with same-day delivery available throughout central Iowa. Additional service modules include a dedicated wedding floral design service, corporate gift programs, a Petal Rewards loyalty system, gift cards, and an affiliate marketing program. The company also provides educational content through occasion guides and flower care resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Floral Arrangements Handcrafted bouquets and flower arrangements for birthdays, anniversaries, get-well wishes, and other celebrations, featuring seasonal blooms, roses, lilies, hydrangeas, and accent flowers, available in tiers from a Value Collection under $65 to premium designs exceeding $300.
• Sympathy and Funeral Flowers Funeral floral tributes including sympathy bouquets, casket sprays, standing sprays, heart and square wreaths, urn tributes, and cremation arrangements for honoring loved ones, ranging from $150 to $500+.
• Plants Lush green plants, flowering plants, orchid plants, and blooming plants for lasting beauty in homes, offices, and corporate environments.
• Gift Baskets Gourmet gift baskets with fruit, cookies, and treats, plus chocolate assortments such as Boesen STAM Chocolate Varieties, including local bakery partnerships such as The Bakeshop and The Bakeshoppe.
• Wedding Floral Design Service Full-service wedding floral design including bridal bouquets, bridesmaid and groomsmen florals, ceremony and reception arrangements, corsages, boutonnieres, and table linen and napkin rentals, with on-staff event consultants and custom quote-based packages.
• Corporate Gifts Business gift solutions including plants, gift baskets, and seasonal arrangements for employee recognition, client gifting, and office use by Des Moines-area employers.
• Gift Cards Prepaid gift cards available for purchase, giving recipients flexibility to choose their own floral selections, plants, or gifts.
• Subscription Flower Deliveries Recurring flower delivery programs such as the Flowers for a Year subscription, providing ongoing scheduled floral deliveries for homes and offices.

Named customers16 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• The BakeshopminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal bakery partnership for petit fours. Boesen partners with The Bakeshop, a beloved local favorite in Des Moines, to offer freshly baked vanilla glazed and decorated petit fours (2"X2"X1.5" single serving) to accompany flower arrangements, particularly for spring and celebratory bouquets.
• The BakeshoppeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal bakery partnership for decorated cookies. Boesen partners with The Bakeshoppe to provide freshly baked, exquisitely decorated sugar cookies embellished with sparkle glitter to accompany flower arrangements like the 'I Appreciate You' bouquet.
• FlowerManager (GravityFree)coreTechnology or IntegrationPowered by FlowerManager from GravityFree, an industry-specific e-commerce platform for florists that provides the online ordering system, product catalog management, and website infrastructure.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Emerging players

• Farmgirl Flowers: Digital-native florist focused on sustainably sourced, designer-style arrangements and strong brand identity. Competes for premium, design-conscious flower buyers who might otherwise order from a destination local florist like Boesen.
• Ode à la Rose: Online florist with French-inspired arrangements and same-day delivery in select metros. Competes at the premium/standard arrangement tier and targets the same gifting occasions Boesen serves.

Direct peers

• The Bouqs Co. Direct-to-consumer online florist sourcing farm-direct flowers and delivering nationwide. Competes with Boesen on premium arrangements, subscription products, and convenience, particularly capturing Des Moines customers ordering outside the local delivery zone.
• UrbanStems: Modern DTC floral brand with curated arrangements, subscription gifting, and strong employer/B2B programs. Overlaps with Boesen's corporate gifting and standard occasion use cases, especially via online-only ordering.

Broad incumbents

• 1-800-Flowers.com: National floral and gifting e-commerce retailer with broad assortment across flowers, plants, and gift baskets. Competes with Boesen in everyday and sympathy gifting, particularly for non-local delivery where wire-out partners fulfill orders on its behalf.
• ProFlowers: National online florist offering fresh flowers, plants, and gift baskets with scheduled delivery. Comparable assortment and price tiers to Boesen's everyday/standard collection, with national reach.
• Teleflora: National floral wire service that aggregates thousands of independent local florists for delivery fulfillment. Overlaps directly with Boesen's local delivery capability and is one of the major wire services referenced in Boesen's top-25 recognition.
• FTD (Flowers Time Direct): Long-established national floral wire service and e-commerce brand. Comparable in offering same-category floral arrangements across consumer and sympathy occasions, and similarly leverages a network of local florists for last-mile fulfillment.

Regional players

• Stems Brooklyn: Boutique online florist serving the New York metro with curated, design-forward arrangements and subscription gifting. Comparable as a digitally savvy regional florist brand competing for premium gifting and corporate accounts in its metro.

Others

• BloomNation: Online marketplace aggregating independent local florists for nationwide delivery. Adjacent comparator: like Boesen, it relies on local florist fulfillment, but operates as a multi-vendor platform rather than a single branded shop.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BoesenFlorist
• Instagraminstagram.com/boesentheflorist_dsm
• Pinterestpinterest.com/boesenflorist
• Xx.com/boesenflorist
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/boesen-the-florist

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Boesen the Florist