Craig Fok
If you’re looking for a grand gesture this Valentine’s Day, a bouquet of 999 roses should do the trick. Yannie Chan talks to Craig Fok, founder of Flowers.com.hk, about the optimum number of roses and transporting the gigantic gift.
HK Magazine: 999 roses! Do they actually sell?
Craig Fok: We’ve sold the 999-rose bouquet a few times—it’s not frequent but it happens just about once every year. The largest bouquet was actually 9,999 roses in Shanghai for a wedding proposal. For Valentine’s we try not to encourage these kind of large bouquets, as every year we run out of roses and have to seek emergency supplies—many, many people order them very last-minute.
HK: Is it difficult to deliver?
CF: I think the 999-rose bouquet weighs around 200kg. Depending on the number of people making the bouquet, it can take from two to five hours. Delivering it takes a whole van, and three people to handle and carry it. The trickiest part is making sure that it is well-supported so that it holds its shape and design during transportation.
HK: Why 999 roses?
CF: At the beginning, we only sold a maximum of 50 roses. We had requests for more throughout the years and gradually increased the number of roses on offer. We put up the option for 999 roses, thinking no one would buy it. But when someone actually did, we realized it took a lot of work and preparation to get it delivered. So we stopped at 999 roses.
HK: Who is buying these big bouquets?
CF: Most of the time, people order them for wedding proposals. However, there are times when people send them to really surprise someone and make them feel special. They are really impressive and jaw-dropping. When large bouquets are sent to offices, it usually pleasantly embarrasses the recipient.
HK: Do recipients find the 999-rose bouquet a bit inconvenient to carry around?
CF: I think wherever the bouquet is sent is where the bouquet remains. It would be difficult for an individual to move it.
