“This is our first entry into international markets,” says Alejandro Bethlen, CEO of US-based The Bouqs Co. Known for their farm-direct model and long-lasting floral bouquets, the company has announced that they are opening operations in Japan. “Japan is a natural fit for our company’s next stage of growth, and we are excited to expand our mission outside of the US.” 
Why Japan?
“Last year, the Japanese flower market was estimated to be worth $7 billion — nearly 1/10th of the global flower industry. Knowing the Japanese customers' love of flowers, we found it to be the best entry point for the company's leap into international growth. Flower gifting is also integral to Japanese culture, especially for Mother’s Day, so it was important that we timed the launch ahead of that holiday,” Bethlen explains.
"The foundation of The Bouqs Co. has always been to provide long-lasting, farm-fresh flowers to our customers through a unique business model and supply chain approach," said Bethlen. "Japan is a natural fit for this next stage of growth, knowing the market is conscious of consistency, quality, and freshness — all things we pride ourselves on at The Bouqs Co. Expanding into Japan allows us the opportunity to meet new customers and provide them with our best-in-class customer experience. We are excited to expand our mission outside of the US.”
Perfect timing
The launch is timed to gear up for Japan's top flower gifting season, Mother's Day, celebrated the second Sunday of May. "In Japanese culture, the act of preparing and presenting a gift is a sign of respect and care for the recipient, which will be reflected in The Bouqs Co. Japan offerings, with a thoughtful approach to gift-giving at the forefront of our brand mission," shared Michiko Sakamoto, VP & Country Manager of Japan.
Approaching its 10 year anniversary in 2022, The Bouqs Co. has grown exponentially over the past few years. “We have delivered more than 140 million stems to doorsteps nationwide, surpassed the $100 million revenue mark in 2020, and have a team of over 100 full-time employees with plans to add more. Right now, we are focused on continuing that growth, domestically as well as in Japan. Since this is our first venture outside the US, we are putting all our efforts towards making Japan a success, while keeping an eye towards growing our offerings within that region.”
Making it through the challenges
“I think like all companies and all leaders, the COVID situation has made keeping employee morale and engagement high a refocused priority. These are volatile times that cause a lot of stress for most individuals, so managing through these past 18 months has been a challenge. What we have done as a company, and I as a leader, is to try and stay very close to employees and truly listen to the challenges they are going through and try to adapt as best you can to those challenges to ensure you are supporting each employee as best you can. Based on these discussions we have done things such as credit to employees to buy things to make their home office more comfortable, www.care.com credits for people to get the support they need for their individual situations, and also company-wide ‘shut-down’ days where we close our offices to ensure people are able to recharge and spend time with their families,” Bethlen adds.
For more information:
The Bouqs Company
www.bouqs.com