Social media help grow profit for 1-800-Flowers.com

Marketing and sales through social and mobile media helped 1-800-Flowers.com gain increases in revenue and profit for its most recent quarter ending Jan. 1, the Carle Place-based florist and gift retailer said.

The company made $16.6 million on $239.8 million in sales compared to the same quarter last year, when it made $13.5 million on $228.8 million.

Revenue grew in all three of its business segments, especially its consumer floral division, which increased 10.3 percent. It also showed growth in the other two areas, the Bloomnet wire florist service and the gourmet food and gift baskets segment.

Its sale of 17 Fannie May chocolate shops to a franchisee was finalized during the quarter and added $3.8 million in pre-tax gain, but the absence of income from the stores reduced earnings per share by about a penny.

"During the fiscal second quarter we achieved solid revenue growth across the enterprise," Jim McCann, the chief executive, said in a Thursday news release.

"This was driven, in large part, by strong performance in our consumer floral business where we saw a continuation of positive trends in sales and gross margin," McCann said.

Chris McCann, president of 1-800-Flowers, left, and his brother, Jim, founder and chief executive, outside their Carle Place retail location in a May 2007 file photo.

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