Port People: Week 7- Pat Cannon of Beach Plum Flower Shop

By Alli Breighner, Marketing Intern

Last week I visited Pat Cannon in her full service flower shop, Beach Plum Flower Shop, located in the Tannery Marketplace in Newburyport, MA. Below is the interview for the Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce’s #portpeople campaign which is a weekly profile of members of the Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce & Industry!

Alli: How long has Beach Plum been open?

Pat: We’ve been a part of the community for 30 years.

Alli: What inspired you to buy it from the previous owner?

Pat:  I wanted to use my talents and give back to the community. I also saw a potential for a lot of collaboration and partnerships within the community.

Alli: Would you be able to describe all of the services that you offer?

Pat: We offer a unique and artistic style for our floral design that is customized for each and every one of our customers.  We offer fresh gorgeous arrangements, fresh flower cuts in our coolers, daily deliveries, floral design for weddings and events, corporate clients, funerals, proms, outdoor planters, flower wall installs, silk and wreath design, various design classes/internships and we just started offering CSA pick up with our local flower farm partner, Singing Brook Farm.  We also have a strong web presence so our customers can reach us anytime – www.beachplumtoo.com

Alli: What made you decide on bringing Piper & Chloe and m cacao into your space?

Pat: I wanted to have an experience for our customers. We have such wonderful customers and they love inspiration. They also love the flowers and plants as well as unique, hip gifts and that’s what Piper & Chloe offers. I love the style and the amazing people that work there. We love local – so offering local, handcrafted, unique chocolate seemed like a great complement to our current business.

Alli: What is your favorite thing that you do?

Pat: I love being with customers and work hard to exceed their expectations.

I love making people happy.

Alli: What do you think makes your shop so successful? Are there any challenges that you never expected?

Pat:   Our awesome Beach Plum Team makes the difference.  We have exceptional expertise and knowledge of floral design and plants.  Our sole focus is creating a positive experience for our customers from the moment they walk in the door to creating their customized, gorgeous arrangements to a smile with every delivery.  Yes, of course there are challenges with any business, Newburyport is so wonderful and the support is amazing. With Beach Plum, we have always had the support of the community.