KUALA LUMPUR, March 18 — Gifting bouquets and floral arrangements can be a pricey affair. Depending on the type of flowers, design of packaging, delivery costs and occasion, some just prefer to give other types of gifts.

Founders of Happy Bunch (www.happybunch.com.my) Joanne Ho and Beh Lee Yen saw a market for wallet-friendly blossoms in simple but beautifully put together bunches.

Happy Bunch uses gunny sack cuts and twine to wrap the beautiful blooms.
Happy Bunch uses gunny sack cuts and twine to wrap the beautiful blooms.

The online floral shop is a little different from your usual florist as senders can have the option to send a bunch of flowers once or regularly. Every weekday, it is a different bunch of flowers so you will not get the same arrangement of flowers twice. You also don't get to dictate the type of flowers you send out, making it unique with that element of surprise.

The Happy Bunch founders are former primary school mates with different styles of arranging to keep the floral arrangements "fresh" and "unusual."

During Valentine's Day, Happy Bunch also brightened up an old folks home with bunches of roses.
During Valentine's Day, Happy Bunch also brightened up an old folks home with bunches of roses.

"We take turns arranging the flowers. One week it will be Joanne, the next it will be me. Sometimes we follow a theme or go according to our mood," said Beh. For instance, this week it's a green colour theme in honour of St. Patrick's Day.

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Both girls have day jobs but despite their busy schedules, they still handle the day-to-day operations at Happy Bunch. Beh works in interior design on a full-time basis, while Joanne is involved in the F&B industry.

Feedback from Happy Bunch's clients has also been encouraging for the duo. "So far we have a lot of positive feedback because we use flowers that are very different from the norm," said Joanne. "We will tell our suppliers what types of flowers we want. Sometimes, they don't even know what kind of flowers we ask for so we have to show them photos," said Beh.

The bunches are wrapped in gunny sack cuts (left). The duo have their individual styles when it comes to arranging the flowers (right).
The bunches are wrapped in gunny sack cuts (left). The duo have their individual styles when it comes to arranging the flowers (right).

To reduce wastage, Happy Bunch prefers to use cuts from gunny sacks as the floral packaging. The gunny sack cuts are brand new because if it used to carry organic produce before, there is a chance that it may contaminate the delicate flowers.

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Prices for the bunch of flowers start from RM39 onwards and that includes free delivery in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya. This means you can deliver a set of lovely blooms to anyone (including yourself) easily. Payment is made online via secured payment methods.

Ho and Beh are also experimenting on other sorts of bunches such as for restaurants/cafes as well as proposal bunches.

Every day, Happy Bunch will post a picture of the day's arrangement in Facebook for people to order (left). Brighten up someone's day with a pink and purple themed Happy Bunch (right).
Every day, Happy Bunch will post a picture of the day's arrangement in Facebook for people to order (left). Brighten up someone's day with a pink and purple themed Happy Bunch (right).

However, their main focus is on the Happy Bunches. "It is a new concept where you don't have to spend a lot of money on flowers. Some of the florists in Malaysia charge exorbitant amounts for something that doesn't even look nice," said Beh.

One trend, that Happy Bunch noticed is that some women buy Happy Bunches for men which is a gesture that changes societal norms. Also, there shouldn't be a reason to gift someone a bouquet. With its affordable price, Happy Bunch can be about gifting flowers just because.

Clients are encouraged to keep in touch via their Facebook page as they'll post up updates on the daily Happy Bunch with the mix of blooms. Occasionally, they also offer Luxe Bunches — a limited amount of bunches with a slightly higher price of RM49.

Get your Happy Bunch at:

www.happybunch.com.my
Facebook: www.facebook.com/happybunchmy
Instagram: www.instagram.com/happybunchmy