Cover Story: In Full Bloom

This isn’t to say that 1-800-Flowers.com hasn’t been tested. “We’re not immune to being clipped by this economic firestorm that’s raged up around us,” says Founder and CEO Jim McCann. The company, which also faces increasing competition in the floral and gifts space, had the first round of layoffs in its 33-year history this past January. In addition, the 2008 fiscal year marks the first down year in company history, with revenues expected to drop by more than 5 percent from the year prior.