Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Georg Arlt
International Tourism Management

 

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ITM Master 1. Sem
8001: Seminar International Tourism Management
           Fr 11.45 - 13.15 h, H 12

  

   Experience Economy Presentations Part II

 

  Experience Economy in Retail: 1-800-flowers.com

 

 Retail as part of tourism
 
-> Shopping: from buying necessities to experience

-> Shopping more or less important part of tourism practice, depending on
 - form of tourism
 - cultural background of tourists (
senbetsu (the parting gift in kind or symbol) and omiyage (souvenir brought back to senbetsu giver).
 

BUT: Retailers and tourism providers in most cases don't see each other as part of the same destination experience.

How to change this?

 

 

 

Updated Aug. 10, 2007, 1:11 p.m. ET

Man sues 1-800-Flowers for ruining his marriage by revealing affair

A Texas man is suing 1-800-Flowers for $1 million, saying the company is to blame for his pending divorce.

After Leroy Greer's wife filed for divorce in January 2006, he began seeing another woman and sent his new girlfriend a dozen long-stemmed roses. But a few months after the flowers were sent, Greer reconciled with his wife, and she moved back in to his Missouri City home, according to Greer's lawyer, Kennitra Foote.

That was, until his wife received a thank-you note from 1-800-Flowers.

Confused about the purchase, Bernice Greer called the company, and they faxed her the receipt.

"Just wanted to say that I love you and you mean the world to me!" read the greeting from Greer to his girlfriend, whose name and address were included in the receipt for more than $100 in roses and a stuffed animal.

Bernice Greer promptly moved out again, continued with the divorce and is now asking a court to give her more money because of her husband's now-documented infidelity, according to the lawyer.

Along the bottom of the fax, Greer's wife apparently added her own comment, according to a copy included in the suit. "Be a man!" it began. "If you got caught red handed then don't still lie. Your tmobile has her number so why still lie."

Greer filed suit Aug. 6 in Texas Southern District Court, accusing the company of breaching their contract with him. Greer claims a sales representative promised him before his purchase that the company would not send notice of the transaction to his home or business.

As a result of the infidelity claims, Greer's wife is now asking for an additional $300,000, as well as $4,000 to $5,000 a month in child support for the boy the couple had together.

"Infidelity is one of the things that would qualify as a pendulum-swinger in a divorce case," Foote said. "And now the wife has cold, hard evidence, and it is solely because of 1-800-Flowers."

A spokesperson for 1-800-Flowers, Steven Jarmon, declined to answer questions about the case, but e-mailed this statement:

"At 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, we take pride in creating relationships with our customers by recognizing and thanking them for their business," the statement said. "We take all matters relating to our customers seriously; however, we are not responsible for an individual's personal conduct. Beyond this, it is the company's policy not to comment on pending litigation and legal matters."

  Contact: Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Georg Arlt, Study Program Director
Bachelor and Master Program International Tourism Management
arlt@fh-westkueste.de, Office 2.018, Tel. 0481 8555-513
Consultation hours (during lecture period): Wednesday 11.00 - 12.00 h

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