• by Steve Ellwanger , November 13, 2019

1-800-FLOWERS.COM is encouraging people to think beyond just floral arrangements for holidays and other gifting occasions. The company’s The Popcorn Factory is offering greeting cards containing fully puffed popcorn in a new line called Cards With Pop.

Starting this month, people can send “giftable greetings” year-round, accompanied by gourmet popcorn.

When ordering Cards With Pop online for $9.99 including shipping, customers can choose from nearly 100 designs and sentiments ranging from “Pumpkin Spice And Everything Nice” to the more edgy, sports-themed condolence “Sorry Your Team Is So Bad.”

“We hope this new collection will help inspire thoughtful everyday connections through clever and on-trend sentiments, often in a tongue-in-cheek way,” Steve Druckman, president of gourmet foods and gift baskets at 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, said in a statement.

Inside a shipping container bearing the name of the sender is a cardboard sleeve emblazoned with the chosen message. Inside the sleeve are six ounces of ready-to- eat Caramel Corn or Cookies & Crème popcorn.

The selection of card designs and messages are updated weekly based on what's trending in the cultural conversation. These can be monitored by following #CardsWithPop on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

The release of Cards With Pop dovetails with the repositioning of another 1-800-FLOWERS brand, the 131-year-old food marketer Wolferman’s, which is now called Wolferman’s Bakery. The change was announced in late September to highlight the expansion of Wolferman’s beyond its signature super-thick English muffins to a full online bakery that is “Always Open, Always Good” 24/7.

Wolferman’s food categories include muffins and breads, bagels, pastries and baked goods, quiche, fruit butters and preserves and honey.

Acquired in 2008 by the Harry & David unit of 1-800-FLOWERS, Wolferman’s products can only be purchased online, with the sole exception of the Harry & David Country Village store in Medford, Oregon.