Flowers always make people better, happier and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine to the soul, said American botanist Luther Burbank. This probably is one of the reasons there has been an increase in floral boutiques in the region, especially Oman. One such floral boutique in Muscat that we visited and fell in love with is Flora D’lite.
Founded by Lovett Marquis, who has been in the floral business for 30 years, Flora D’lite is a true haven for lovers of flowers and plants. Located in a beautifully styled space in Qurum, Flora D’lite brings to Oman flowers from across the globe, some of which are unique to the brand. The boutique captures your attention even before you enter. The exterior wall of the villa where the boutique is located is decorated with pastel floral vines. One you move past this lovely sight, what welcomes you is a floral arcadia. A specially crafted glass storage room that stores flowers of around 50 varieties is the cynosure here.
“When we decided to open Flora D’lite here, the first question I had was if we could create a cold storage room for the flowers. This is something unique yet essential for my business,” says Lovett Marquis, who entered the business of flowers in 1991 in Africa. A wholesale distributor of flowers to various countries, Lovett only got into the retail business this year.
Lovett moved to Oman in 2001 and continued to supply flowers to the region and India. He exports flowers from 13 countries and is one of the largest wholesale suppliers of flowers in the country. With such wealth of resources at hand, not to forget knowledge of the industry, it was a natural progression for Lovett towards retail side of business. Following the opening of Flora D’lite’s premium flagship outlet in Qurum, a second shop was recently launched at The Links in Muscat Hills. Two more outlets – in Souk Al Madinah and Seeb – are planned for the near future. But Lovett has not just stopped with floral boutiques.
“E-commerce across industries has seen tremendous growth over the last few months. The floral e-commerce business has considerable growth. With an e-commerce platform, we will be able supply across the region. We are starting with Oman first and eventually will cover other markets,” says Lovett.
Flora D’lite recently launched its own portal where customers can order floral arrangements and cakes to be delivered to recipients across Muscat. From lush bouquets to extravagant centrepieces or unique floral creations, the portal offers customers the opportunity to order under several options. This includes choosing according to design, flowers, colours, and occasions.
Aside of fresh flowers, Flora D’lite also has a wide variety of plants, artificial and dried flowers, as well as complementing décor accessories to choose from. The team, which includes talented florists, are also experts in handling floral décor for weddings, parties, corporate events, and exhibitions.
To learn more about Flora D’lite and order online, visit floradlite.com