Thanksgiving Fire Destroys Fannie May and Harry London Distribution Center



[Video Courtesy of FOX 8, Cleveland]

Multichannel Merchant Holiday 2014 Feed1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. reported that supplies of its Fannie May Fine Chocolates and Harry London Chocolates will be limited this holiday season due to a fire at the company’s Maple Heights, OH warehouse and distribution center that took place on Thanksgiving Day.

While the fire did not cause any injuries, the building was severely damaged, rendering it inoperable for the key holiday season. Inventories stored at the facility for distribution, including such products as Fannie May Pixies and Trinidads, were damaged or lost in the fire.

As a result of the lost inventories and the impact to distribution operations, 1-800-FLOWERS.COM expects to have limited supplies of its Fannie May Fine Chocolates and Harry London Chocolate products available in its retail stores as well as for its ecommerce and wholesale channels during the holiday season.

On its ecommerce site, the company posted a statement to alert customers that Fannie May and Harry London are temporarily unable to accept orders for products other than its Fannie May Chocolate Dipped Strawberries.

1-800-FLOWERS.COM has begun to implement contingency plans to increase production for Fannie May Fine Chocolates and Harry London Chocolates products at its state-of-the-art chocolate and confection production facility in Canton, OH, and to shift warehousing and distribution operations to alternate company facilities as well as identifying additional third-party facilities to handle holiday demand.

While the constrained inventory is likely to impact total revenues for the holiday season, 1-800-FLOWERS.COM said in a statement it is insured for losses incurred due to the fire, including material losses and business interruption.

“First and foremost, we are very thankful that no one was injured by the fire at our Maple Heights facility and we are extremely grateful to the Maple Heights fire department and other first responders for its rapid response and diligent efforts in fighting the fire on Thanksgiving Day,” Jim McCann, CEO of 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc., said in a press release. “I am also proud of the tremendous response and positive spirit of our dedicated associates throughout the Company who worked through the Thanksgiving holiday and continue to work around the clock to develop and implement contingency plans to accelerate production and identify alternate warehouse and distribution options so that we can minimize the impact of this unfortunate event on our business and, most important, on our ability to help our customers deliver smiles this holiday season.”