Watkins Flowers of Distinction

Our Spotlight Recommendation

“The best florist in Raleigh bar none! ”

– Nate Haught Simply Crepes Cafe and Catering of Raleigh

About Us

Watkins Flowers of Distinction is an award-winning Florist and retail lifestyle business focused on products and creative services that beautify one's surroundings and affect delight in the everyday.

Flowers or gifts from Watkins are a great way to make yourself stand out from the crowd by showing your loved ones, clients/customers, or employees/colleagues, that you are thoughtful, appreciative, and caring.

Watkins can supply flowers for every type of occasion imaginable. But, maybe you haven't thought of how we can help your business:

Finding and nurturing new customers is important; but, repeat customers are far more so in sustaining your business for the long term. So, don't take your satisfied clients for granted! Show them your appreciation and elevate your game with flowers, a plant, an orchid, or a gift from Watkins. As a customer service-oriented business with more than 500 online Google 5-star reviews, Watkins will enhance your brand and image every time it delivers flowers or a gift on your behalf.

We'd like to partner with you as part of a strategy to improve your brand image, customer retention, referrals, and solidify the lifetime value of your relationships.

Let's get them talking about YOU and YOUR BUSINESS!

Ready to get started? Call us (919) 872-3333

How We Got Started

Ken Watkins founded Watkins Flower Shop in 1963 in an area just north of downtown Raleigh, NC along US-1 in what is now the Capital Boulevard area. An innovator in the industry, Ken patented the first flower vending machine in 1968 which allowed his customers to buy flowers 365/24/7. Ken moved the business in 1978 to Highwoods and Capital Blvds where the flower shop became a Raleigh institution for the next 38 years. In 1982, Ken sold his business to his protege, Doug Jones, who developed Watkins into one of the top producing FTD/Teleflora shops in the nation during his 32 year tenure. In 2013, Doug retired and sold the business to his friends, Ed Carpp and Sallie Taggart. Ed & Sallie took Watkins in a bold new direction: customer-focused, high-quality, innovative, moving the business to its current home in midtown Raleigh. As a concerned global citizen, Watkins' low carbon footprint shop is state-of-the-art, highly efficient, with minimal impact to the environment.

The products and services we offer

Flowers Weddings Events Speciality Retail Gifts Home Decor Art Delivery Curbside Pickup Wreaths Birthday Bouquets Flower Arrangements Wedding Flowers Show all 13

Highly Recommended

"This group of folks really are awesome. They serve the community and shop local. Their..." Read more "This group of folks really are awesome. They serve the community and shop local. Their arrangements are gorgeous."

Highly Recommended

"Customer care. "

Event Florals

Florals for events of all kinds...weddings, banquets, corporate, fundraisers, private parties. Our goal is to bring a client's vision into focus t...

Everyday Florals

Excellence in floral design for everyday occasions...birthdays, anniversaries, maternity, sympathy, love and romance, retirements, graduations and ...

Fragrances

Beautifully boxed Lux premium scented candles make extraordinary gifts; TokyoMilk perfume, Shea butter lotions, bubble bath, and scented candles; A...

Gallery

Highly Recommended

"If you like to think outside the box, you need to check out ITEX."

Highly Recommended

"I've dealt with Capital Auto Rentals for years, supplementing our delivery vans during peak..." Read more "I've dealt with Capital Auto Rentals for years, supplementing our delivery vans during peak seasonal periods. They make vehicle renting quick and easy and the vehicles are always spotless and ready to go. It's always a pleasure doing business with professionals. Highly recommended!!"

Recent Activity

Ed Carpp & from Watkins Flowers of Distinction Answered this on January 01, 2020

It's easy to get down on oneself and one's business when sales are slow, money is tight, and it feels like things aren't happening. It's therefore important to reflect on what you are doing and to put things in the context of a big picture. If you know you are doing the right things and they... (more) It's easy to get down on oneself and one's business when sales are slow, money is tight, and it feels like things aren't happening. It's therefore important to reflect on what you are doing and to put things in the context of a big picture. If you know you are doing the right things and they are affirmed by your customers (i.e., online reviews, referrals), believe in yourself and stick with your plan. Resolve to be more determined to succeed. The customers will come. Never give up!

1 Reply

Ed Carpp & from Watkins Flowers of Distinction Answered this on June 06, 2018

Probably not, but maybe! If you have the resources and are smart enough to run a business by yourself, then do it. As the business grows, you can always hire talent as needed. Partners are permanent, are entitled to a piece of the action, good or bad. Partnerships, particularly in start-ups,... (more) Probably not, but maybe! If you have the resources and are smart enough to run a business by yourself, then do it. As the business grows, you can always hire talent as needed. Partners are permanent, are entitled to a piece of the action, good or bad. Partnerships, particularly in start-ups, very often end up badly. It's easy, even fun, to have partners when the business is new, struggling, and there is poor cash flow. But, that all changes when real money comes along! If you must have partners, be prepared to invest some dollars upfront with an attorney to draft all of the necessary agreements to cover the contingencies of illness, break-up, buyouts, and so forth. That keeps emotions out of the decisions and actions to be taken should partnership problems arise. Without the legal pieces in place, should partnership problems arise, you will threaten the very existence of the company. Take on partners only if they are necessary to the long-term success of the business. And, never, never, never, do business with bad people.

Ed Carpp & from Watkins Flowers of Distinction Answered this on March 16, 2018

There's busy good and busy bad. If your busy-ness is not creating marginal profits for your business, then there is no point to being busy. This is a hard lesson to learn for small business owners, particularly if the business is growing quickly. It's essential to keep a big picture... (more) There's busy good and busy bad. If your busy-ness is not creating marginal profits for your business, then there is no point to being busy. This is a hard lesson to learn for small business owners, particularly if the business is growing quickly. It's essential to keep a big picture perspective and to stay on top of the numbers. If one can do that, decisions become relatively easy.

Ed Carpp & from Watkins Flowers of Distinction Answered this on January 24, 2018

That's good advice from Robin Holland; but, I would say the top mistake is to let yourself be seduced by the wire services. You must position your shop well within your local market. The wires will make the argument that they will give you all the business you can handle...and they will! It's... (more) That's good advice from Robin Holland; but, I would say the top mistake is to let yourself be seduced by the wire services. You must position your shop well within your local market. The wires will make the argument that they will give you all the business you can handle...and they will! It's just that they take all of your money in commissions, fees, penalties and licensing. They are a cancer on your business and it's completely predictable that your business will die a slow, painful death.

Ed Carpp & from Watkins Flowers of Distinction Answered this on November 22, 2017

20% off all holiday merchandise, including Mark Roberts limited edition Santas and Fairies...on Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Giving Tuesday. (more) 20% off all holiday merchandise, including Mark Roberts limited edition Santas and Fairies...on Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Giving Tuesday.

Join Ed Carpp & and 11+ million other Small Business Owners

Join Ed Carpp & and 11+ million other Small Business Owners

Ed Carpp & Sallie Taggart

The products and services we offer

Our Recognition

Team

Join Ed Carpp & and 11+ million other Small Business Owners

Join Ed Carpp & and 11+ million other Small Business Owners

Ed Carpp & Sallie Taggart