A Scottish startup founded by two brothers is changing the way people buy flowers, with refrigerated vending machines making fresh bouquets available around the clock.
24/7 Bloom, founded by Josh and Adam Reid, now operates across 10 locations in Glasgow and the Central Belt, with new sites being added as the business looks to expand across Scotland.
The idea came to the brothers while travelling in Asia, where they noticed how common vending machines were for everyday purchases.
Josh Reid said: “We saw the idea when we were travelling in Asia. We saw it and we were like, everything is convenience, everything is vending over there.
“We just couldn’t believe how no one had thought to bring this idea over to Scotland and thought, we’ll give it a try.”
Both brothers were working at the time, but decided to take a chance on the business.
“We took a punt, we got a machine and, yeah, the rest was history,” Josh said.
The machines stock professionally arranged bouquets kept refrigerated until customers make a contactless purchase. The idea is to offer a convenient option for birthdays, anniversaries, celebrations or last-minute gifts.
Josh said the brothers had been surprised by the range of people using the machines, including customers looking for a bouquet after spending hours at the golf course.
He added: “I can’t tell you whether it’s a birthday, anniversary, a last-minute, ‘I’m sorry’. We didn’t realise to what extent it is for everyone.”
Social media has also helped the business attract attention, with customers travelling to different locations and asking for machines to be installed closer to home.
The company recently ran a campaign featuring bouquets decorated with gemstones, while customer feedback and sales data help shape its seasonal flower ranges.
Looking ahead, the brothers hope to take the business beyond Scotland.
Josh said: “Right now we’re in Scotland, we’re focusing on that. We’re moving in slowly into new cities one by one.
“We’ll take Scotland first and then we’ll gradually move across the country”.