While
both Professionals Secretaries Week and Administrative Professionals
Week are a mouthful to say, more florists have the latter on their
lips.


In 2008, 23 percent of florists used the secretarial title, down
from 38 percent in 2005, according to SAF’s post-holiday survey. Those
using "Administrative Professionals Week" rose to 31 percent from 22
percent in 2005. About 29 percent use both terms. 

In 1952, National Secretaries Association established the holiday.
The group changed its name to the International Association of
Administrative Assistants in 1998 and in 2000 changed the name of the
observance to Administrative Professionals Week.


APW/PSW Sales Slide

Regardless
of what florists call the week, more are reporting weaker sales during
it. About half the businesses (49 percent) reported 2008 sales below
those of 2007 [Figure 2]. About a quarter each said sales were either
up (23 percent) or about the same (25 percent) as in 2007.


Figures 3 and 4 show the changes in sales by size and location of
business. It appears that shops in all of the size categories, in terms
of their annual sales levels, had similar experiences in changes in
sales for the holiday. By location, suburban shops were somewhat more
likely to see year-over-year declines (just over half the businesses)
and rural businesses more likely to maintain sales compared to their
suburban counterparts (31 percent compared to 20 percent).

The economy, whether at the national (57 percent) or regional level
(50 percent) took a big chunk of the blame for the slump. The holiday’s
own decline in importance was cited by 56 percent of recipients, a
cause that somewhat ties into the economy, given the changing landscape
of the workplace. That environment is the backdrop for two other
factors cited: non-support by business sector (44 percent) and
confusion over for whom the holiday is for (43 percent).

Rounding out the top 10 are:

• The name change (32 percent)


•  Competition from other gifts,
  
  (32 percent)


• Public unaware of the holiday (32 percent)
  
  


• Not enough industry advertising/promotion (31 percent)


• Confusion over the name of the holiday (29 percent)
  
  

Busy Work

Administrative Professionals Week can make for a very manic mid-week. [Figure 5]
Almost all the incoming orders arrive beginning on Monday, increasing
on Tuesday and peaking on Wednesday. And almost nine of every 10 orders
(87 percent) are delivered on Wednesday. 


Make a note to make sure your results are included in our next
survey. If you are a retailer and not receiving our post-holiday
surveys, send your e-mail address to surveys@safnow.org. 



Source: SAF Post-holiday survey of retail florists. Survey mailed
5/01/2008 and closed on 5/16/2008. Results based on 370 responses
(response rate = 10.2 percent).