The Commencement Group

What The Commencement Group does

The Commencement Group is a privately held, US-based service and retail company founded in 2005 by Darryl, operating from Newark. It specializes in the pre-order and on-site retail of floral arrangements and commemorative apparel at graduation ceremonies, serving over 700 universities and colleges and thousands of high schools across North America. Its product portfolio includes rose bouquets (The Butchers Dozen, The Butchers Half Dozen, The Presentation), seasonal flowers (The Big Spring), orchid and kukui nut leis, graduation teddy bears, commemorative class t-shirts and sweatshirts customized with school logos and graduate names, and bundled packages (Grad Box). The company claims to be the largest commencement floral and apparel retailer in North America. It has no proprietary technology platform; operations are conducted through a WordPress-based website for online pre-orders and the deployment of in-house professional staff to operate retail booths at commencement venues.

The company operates a dual GTM motion: enterprise field sales at the institutional level (negotiating contracts with university Special Events Offices to secure venue access) combined with direct-to-consumer on-site sales at ceremonies targeting parents, guests, and graduates. Revenue is generated through on-site retail transactions and a commission-sharing arrangement with the host institution, where the university receives a percentage of product sales while The Commencement Group bears all operational costs, staffing, and inventory risk. Products purchased online in advance are priced at displayed rates; on-site purchases may include a service and convenience fee. The business is highly seasonal, concentrated in spring commencement periods. Supply chain is anchored by certified sustainable floral suppliers (Florverde, Rainforest Alliance, VeriFlora, Asocoflores, BASC). The company is founder-owned and operated with no disclosed institutional investors, funding rounds, or parent company structure.

Name

The Commencement Group

Legal name

The Commencement Group

Website

https://thecommencementgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

The Commencement Group is a US-based service retailer that sells floral arrangements and commemorative apparel at graduation ceremonies, serving over 700 universities, colleges, and thousands of high schools across North America as the largest player in the niche.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commencement Event Retail Services

NAICS

Florists (4593)

SIC

Retail-Family Clothing Stores (5651)

akta.pro primary industry

Graduation & Prom Event Services (HSACACAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Graduation, Degree Audit & Commencement Services (EDALAAAJ)

Keywords

• Graduation floral arrangements
• Commencement retail services
• Commemorative graduation apparel
• On-site event merchandise
• Graduation ceremony products

Headquarters

HQ city

Newark

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. On-site retail product sales: The company generates revenue through direct retail sales of floral products (rose bouquets, seasonal flowers, orchid leis, kukui nut leis) and commemorative apparel (t-shirts, sweatshirts, teddy bears) at commencement ceremonies. The university department retains a commission on all products sold, while The Commencement Group handles inventory, staffing, and fulfillment.
2. Commission-based arrangement: Universities receive a commission on all products sold during their commencement ceremony. The company guarantees universities will earn the most money compared to competitors, while bearing all operational costs, staffing, and inventory risk with no cost, risk, or effort required from the university.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

The Commencement Group provides on-site and pre-order retail of floral arrangements (rose bouquets, seasonal spring flowers, orchid and kukui nut leis) and commemorative apparel and gifts (graduation t-shirts, sweatshirts, teddy bears, Grad Box bundles) at university and high school commencement ceremonies. The company contracts with host institutions, deploys its own professional staffing, and shares a commission with the school's department on every product sold.

Product overview

The Commencement Group offers a unified product portfolio centered on commencement ceremony floral arrangements and commemorative apparel. The product line includes rose bouquets (The Butchers Dozen, The Butchers Half Dozen, The Presentation), seasonal spring flowers (The Big Spring), graduation leis (Orchid Leis, Kukui Nut Leis), apparel (Commemorative Class T-Shirts and Sweatshirts), plush items (Graduation Teddy Bear), and bundled packages (Grad Box). These products are sold through university and college partnerships at commencement ceremonies, serving graduating students, families, and institutional clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Butchers Dozen Twelve long stem roses with baby's breath in butcher's paper, available in a large variety of colors; a core floral product sold to parents and guests at commencement ceremonies.
• The Butchers Half Dozen Half dozen long stem roses with baby's breath in butcher's paper, available in a large variety of colors; a smaller-format bouquet sold at commencement.
• The Big Spring A large variety of beautiful seasonal spring flowers presented in butcher paper; a non-rose bouquet option sold at commencement.
• The Presentation Twelve long stem roses layered by a florist with greenery, baby's breath, and bow; a premium rose bouquet sold at commencement.
• Orchid Leis Premium single and double orchid leis offered to graduates and guests at commencement ceremonies.
• Kukui Nut Leis A lei made of kukui nuts commemorating the graduating class, customized in school colors.
• Graduation Teddy Bear A twelve-inch cuddly bear wearing a cap and gown and holding a diploma, available in a variety of colors; a gift item sold at commencement.
• Commemorative Class T-Shirt Graduation t-shirt featuring the names of all graduates listed on the back and a school logo on the front, available in sizes S-XXL; customized apparel sold to graduates and families.
• Commemorative Class Sweatshirt Graduation sweatshirt featuring the names of all graduates listed on the back and a school logo on the front, available in sizes S-XXL; customized apparel sold to graduates and families.
• Grad Box A commencement graduation box package that bundles floral and commemorative products together as a single keepsake purchase for families and graduates.

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Florverde Certified SupplierscoreOthersAll floral suppliers are Florverde Certified, indicating commitment to sustainable and socially responsible flower production practices. This certification ensures ethical labor practices and environmental stewardship in the supply chain.
• Rainforest Alliance Certified SupplierscoreOthersFloral suppliers hold Rainforest Alliance certification, demonstrating adherence to environmental sustainability standards that protect ecosystems and biodiversity in flower production.
• VeriFlora Certified SupplierscoreOthersVeriFlora certification for floral suppliers ensures sustainable agriculture practices, product quality standards, and social responsibility throughout the supply chain.
• Asocoflores MemberscoreOthersFloral suppliers are members of Asocoflores, the Colombian Flower Association, supporting the Colombian flower industry and sustainable production practices.
• BASC Compliant SupplierscoreOthersSuppliers maintain BASC (Business Alliance for Secure Commerce) compliance, ensuring secure and legitimate business practices in international flower trade and logistics.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Herff Jones: Herff Jones supplies graduation caps, gowns, class rings, and yearbooks to U.S. high schools and colleges, operating through institutional sales relationships analogous to TCG's Special Events Office channel, and competing for the same graduation merchandise wallet share.
• Jostens: Jostens is a leading provider of graduation products (class rings, yearbooks, caps and gowns, diplomas) sold through U.S. high schools and colleges. Like The Commencement Group, it monetizes the graduation moment via institutional relationships and on-site/commemorative merchandise.

Broad incumbents

• FTD Companies: FTD is a national floral delivery and gifting network serving consumer occasions. It is comparable to TCG as a scaled floral retailer, though FTD is broader (everyday gifting) and does not specialize in on-site commencement retail.
• 1-800-Flowers.com: 1-800-Flowers.com is a large direct-to-consumer floral and gifting retailer covering birthdays, anniversaries, sympathy, and celebrations. Comparable to TCG in floral retail mechanics, but it is consumer-facing nationwide and does not operate on-site at ceremonies.
• ProFlowers: ProFlowers is a direct-to-consumer floral and gift retailer for occasions including graduations and celebrations. It is comparable in floral retail mechanics and occasion-based gifting, but ships nationally rather than retailing on-site at ceremonies.
• Teleflora: Teleflora is a floral delivery network of independent local florists serving consumer and event occasions. Comparable to TCG in floral products and event gifting use cases (including graduations), though its model is delivery-based rather than on-site ceremony retail.

Emerging players

• Custom Ink: Custom Ink provides custom-printed apparel and group merchandise for schools, teams, and events, including graduation and class apparel. It overlaps with TCG's commemorative t-shirt/sweatshirt line, but distributes online rather than via on-site ceremony retail.

Others

• The Knot Worldwide: The Knot Worldwide operates wedding marketplaces (The Knot, WeddingWire, Nest) connecting consumers with vendors for ceremonies and events. It is adjacent to TCG: both monetize the high-emotion ceremonial occasion, but The Knot serves weddings digitally rather than operating on-site floral/apparel retail.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-commencement-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 The Commencement Group