East Meadow Florist Paying It Forward

East Meadow Florist has been serving the community for more than five decades. Though business has changed over the years, especially with advancements in technology, one thing has remained constant: paying it forward.

Patch spoke with Christopher Hackert, who worked at the shop for nearly 30 years before taking it over in 1996, about the challenges small businesses face, what keeps him going and his proudest moment as owner.

How has business changed since you assumed ownership 17 years ago? The greatest change has been the advancement in technology and the Internet. When I first took over the shop in 1996, there was no need for a website. Now of course it is an absolute must, and the new challenge is to have your website mobile-ready since so many people are shopping on smartphones.

What's the biggest challenge with competing against national chains and websites? The biggest challenge is educating the consumer that they are not getting the best service and value from national chains. They may start off with a low price, but once they add in service charges and shipping fees, those bargain bouquets can double or triple in price. We have the ability to service much more quickly, with much better service at reasonable honest pricing.

What are you most proud of? I am most proud of our commitment to giving back to the community through service projects and donations to our schools and civic organizations. We have been in business in East Meadow since 1961 and have given back thousands and thousands of dollars and hours to the community. I have served as president of both the East Meadow Kiwanis Club and the East Meadow Chamber of Commerce and have chaired many charitable committees over the years. We are grateful for the support we get from the residents and always strive to return the kindness.

Any specials for the holiday season? When should customers start placing orders? We offer a full variety of holiday gifts from fresh flowers, plants, balloons and, of course, our very popular holiday fruit and gourmet baskets, which are always made fresh to order and fully customizable. Our website, www.eastmeadowflorist.com, has a wide selection of gifts to choose from. Ordering early is always advisable, but we always take same-day orders and can often deliver your gift within hours.


STORE: East Meadow Florist
LOCATION: 2326 Hempstead Tpke, East Meadow
PHONE: (516) 794-0020
WEBSITE: www.eastmeadowflorist.com