Family small businesses are a hallmark of the District’s business landscape and Flowers by Alexes, based in the Northwest neighborhood of Petworth, is an example.
Flowers by Alexes is owned by Alexes Haggins, the daughter of Bernard Haggins, who served as a delivery driver for Colony Florist in the 1960s before buying the business when the original owner retired. Bernard moved Colony Florist to the 800 block of Upshur Street NW and changed the name to what it is today because of the birth of his daughter, Alexes.
“I worked in the store with my dad, like the rest of my family,” said Haggins, 42. “We also helped him with other projects like selling fireworks.”
When Bernard died in 2004, Alexes tried to run the business but ultimately had to shutter. She decided to reopen in 2022 after people complimented her skills in putting together flower arrangements for special events.
“I knew how to make arrangements and after getting feedback from people, I decided that this might be a good time to restart the business,” she said.
Flowers by Alexes is located on Upshur Street a half-block away from the busy Georgia Avenue corridor. The business offers fresh flowers and plants for sale from Tuesday through Saturday.
Products can be picked up or delivered. People can choose from what is offered through the store and have bouquets made immediately.
Haggins said she sells her products on occasions such as weddings, funerals, birthdays, and graduations.
“Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day are like the Super Bowl in the floral retail industry,” she said. “Those are our biggest days.”
However, Haggins has made Father’s Day a focus also.
“Men like flowers too,” she said. “Men buy flowers for their wives or female friends. I have also found that men want them to. I believe we should give fathers their flowers.”
Haggins said she wants to “take the business to the next level” by focusing on data analytics and making plans to open a second location. She credited Eldridge Allen, who works with small businesses at the Greater Washington Urban League, as being a mentor in advising her on business strategies and operations.
Haggins received the District of Columbia Chamber of Commerce’s Retailer of the Year Award at the 2024 DC Small Business Summit and Expo on April 30. The award was presented to her by the leaders of the D.C. Department of Small and Local Business Development.
“I was really shocked that I received the award and pleased,” she said. “When I saw the email, I was so emotional. I just picked up where my father left off. I know my father is smiling down on me, making the family proud.”
