1-800-FLOWERS.COM Blooms Online With 'The Second Life Summer Flower Show'

CARLE PLACE, N.Y., June 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- 1-800-FLOWERS.COM (NASDAQ: FLWS) , the world's leading florist, has officially opened the doors to a new floral pavilion and greenhouse that will exist solely in the virtual world of Second Life and will offer a world of complimentary flowers for its 6.9 million residents to collect and give to one another.

Designed to let company and consumer interact with both the openness and anonymity that Second Life allows, the "Summer Flower Show" (to which Second Life residents can teleport in-world or from a landing page at http://www.1800flowers.com/secondlife) will promote greater knowledge and enjoyment of the ways flowers enrich lives by:

  * Offering complimentary floral arrangements for residents to carry around
    as expressions of their own sentiments and personalities, display in
    their own Second Life spaces, or give to others they encounter "in
    world." Floral selections reflect the mature social nature of the Second
    Life community. "Happy Hour Bouquets," for instance, come in seven
    varieties such as "Apple Martini," "Champagne Wishes" and "Cosmopolitan
    Bouquet," and are gathered in cocktail glasses and champagne flutes for
    vases. Decorative note cards accompanying the bouquets further
    facilitate in-world expression, and carry coupons good for real-world
    discounts at 1-800-FLOWERS.COM;

  * Providing a casual, open environment that is as perfect for hosting an
    event as it is a private spot for a rendezvous among a couple or small
    group of residents;

  * Populating the space with 1-800-FLOWERS.COM representatives who can
    dispense knowledge about the meaning and history of different flowers
    (drawing on the company's decades of experience in the floral business),
    point out interesting features of the space, and even tackle customer
    service issues ranging from feedback on the greenhouse, to comments on
    the company's real-world products and services. Nearly two dozen
    volunteers have been formally trained and will staff shifts in the
    greenhouse from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. PDT during the week and 11 a.m. - 5 ]
    p.m. PDT on Saturday and Sunday, in addition to appearing in-world
    throughout the day. Initially, they will travel around Second Life
    promoting the new destination; and

  * Staging events, such as roundtable discussions led by 1-800-FLOWERS.COM
    founder/CEO Jim McCann (the first of which will take place Friday, June
    15, from 10:30 - 11:30 A.M. EDT), a virtual flower bouquet design
    contest in July, and a series of focus groups with Second Life
    "residents" to solicit opinions on the company's future Second Life
    endeavors.

Director of Special Projects, Seth Lasser (avatar: Kal Winkler), says visitors to the Summer Flower Show will be pleasantly surprised to find that the greenhouse centers around experience, entertainment and enhancement of their Second Life personas.

"Erecting a virtual greenhouse is an opportunity to connect with people in a uniquely engaging way," Lasser says. "Creative self-expression is at the very heart of Second Life, and flowers add so much color to those who surround themselves with them or give them to others. We are delighted to offer Second Life members a naturally beautiful space where they can socialize, learn more about flowers and fellow residents, and collect creatively designed bouquets to enhance their in-world personas."

This Second Marketing LLC, a San Francisco-based digital marketing agency that specializes in helping brands enter Second Life, created the greenhouse, and hosts it on its own island, "This Second Island," along with training and demonstration facilities, a nightclub and buildings erected for other clients.

"Second Life offers limitless possibilities for creativity, self- expression and socializing, and its popularity has increased dramatically," says Joni West (avatar: Joni Rich), President, This Second Marketing LLC. "As a result, a growing number of companies are looking to Second Life as a new channel to reach the consuming public, but many have been criticized for being too commercial or for not engaging residents on a personal level. 1-800- FLOWERS.COM has made a bigger commitment, training eager volunteers to go in- world and engage and interact with residents, helping them enjoy their visits to the greenhouse and come away with new information, experiences and virtual accessories to use in both worlds."

About 1-800-FLOWERS.COM(R)

For more than 30 years, 1-800-FLOWERS.COM Inc. -- "Your Florist of Choice(SM)" -- has been providing customers around the world with the freshest flowers and finest selection of plants, gift baskets, gourmet foods, confections and plush stuffed animals perfect for every occasion. 1-800- FLOWERS.COM(R) offers the best of both worlds: exquisite, florist-designed arrangements individually created by some of the nation's top floral artists and hand-delivered the same day, and spectacular flowers shipped overnight "Fresh From Our Growers(SM)." Customers can "call, click or come in" to shop 1-800-FLOWERS.COM twenty four hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-356-9377 or http://www.1800flowers.com/. Sales and Service Specialists are available 24/7, and fast and reliable delivery is offered same day, any day. As always, 100 percent satisfaction and freshness are guaranteed. The 1-800-FLOWERS.COM collection of brands also includes home decor and children's gifts from Plow & Hearth(R) (1-800-627-1712 or http://www.plowandhearth.com/), Problem Solvers(R) (http://www.problemsolvers.com/), Wind & Weather(R) (http://www.windandweather.com/), Madison Place(R) (http://www.madisonplace.com/), HearthSong(R) (http://www.hearthsong.com/) and Magic Cabin(R) (http://www.magiccabin.com/); gourmet gifts including popcorn and specialty treats from The Popcorn Factory(R) (1-800-541-2676 or http://www.thepopcornfactory.com/); exceptional cookies and baked gifts from Cheryl&Co.(R) (1-800-443-8124 or http://www.cherylandco.com/); premium chocolates and confections from Fannie May Confections Brands(R) (http://www.fanniemay.com/ and http://www.harrylondon.com/); gourmet foods from GreatFood.com(R) (http://www.greatfood.com/); wine gifts from Ambrosia.com (http://www.ambrosia.com/); gift baskets from 1-800- BASKETS.COM(R) (http://www.1800baskets.com/) and the BloomNet(R) international floral wire service, which provides quality products and diverse services to a select network of florists. 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. stock is traded on the NASDAQ market under ticker symbol FLWS.