The data behind every delivery at Bunches
Bunches, a family-run florist based in the UK, has been delivering flowers nationwide since 1989. With over 90% of its orders sent as gifts, getting the delivery address right is critical, not just for logistics and growth but for customer trust.
We explore how this growing business tackled a surprisingly common challenge, and what other growing businesses can learn from their approach.
What challenge was Bunches facing as it scaled its operations?
As Bunches transitioned from postal orders to a fully digital business, one issue remained persistent: incorrect address entry.
Because most orders are gifts, even a small error, a wrong flat number or postcode could result in a missed birthday or anniversary. For a business built on thoughtful gestures, that kind of mistake could seriously damage the customer experience and costly failed deliveries.
How did they address the issue?
Bunches looked at how technology could help to reduce failed deliveries and improve accuracy. They found two technologies to implement with its long-standing Experian Data Quality. The first real-time address validation on its website. This tool can validate and verify business and consumer addresses in real-time using authoritative data sources such as Royal Mail and USPS.
In addition, the implemented back-end address verification which allowed the automatic correction of large volumes of address data before the data is used in processes such as billing, marketing and shipping.
This meant customers could enter delivery details faster and with fewer errors, while the business could ensure every order was verified before it left the warehouse.
The technology was integrated into both their CRM and checkout systems. The most recent update took just one day to implement, a major benefit for a small team looking to avoid disruption.
What kind of results did they see?
In a 12-month period, Bunches processed 9.4 million address searches. This translated into more than 2,000 hours saved in manual data entry and 27 million keystrokes eliminated.
More importantly, failed deliveries dropped significantly, helping the business maintain its reputation for reliability, especially around key gifting occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, and Valentine’s Day.
Has this approach influenced other parts of the business?
Yes. More recently, Bunches began using demographic data to better understand its customer base. This revealed some unexpected insights, including a younger-than-expected audience and a growing number of retired customers.
These findings helped the team segment their marketing more effectively and improve return on investment across campaigns.
Elliot Reed, Head of Engineering at Bunches, commented:
“Real-time search has virtually eliminated address errors. This has saved us time and money, and most importantly, ensured our customers receive their flowers on time. Using demographic data has also provided invaluable insights into our customer base.”
Yao Li, Chief Product Officer, Global EDQ at Experian, added:
“This is a powerful reminder high quality data makes real differences to a business, not just enhancing efficiency but also building trust, elevating customer experiences, and fuelling sustaining growth.”
What’s the takeaway for other businesses?
For many growing companies, data quality might not seem like a top priority until it starts affecting customer satisfaction or operational costs.
Bunches’ experience shows that even small improvements in accuracy and insight can have a meaningful impact. Whether it’s reducing delivery errors or understanding who your customers really are, investing in the right tools early can help businesses scale more confidently and efficiently.