Jim McCann bought a single flower shop in New York in 1976. He built it into a national brand around a phone number people could remember. When the web arrived, 1-800-Flowers became one of the early merchants to sell seriously online. By the summer of 1999, when it filed to go public, it was a real business with real customers, in a market crowded with promises.

Local Florists, National Brand

McCann bet that people sending flowers wanted one trusted brand they could reach from anywhere. The easy phone number did that job first. A network of local florists handled delivery across the country. When the web arrived, he moved early and partnered with online services and portals. 1-800-Flowers was a familiar name before most shoppers had bought anything online at all.

Harry & David and Beyond

1-800-Flowers priced at $21 a share in August 1999. Its stock fell with the market, but the business kept selling through the downturn. Over the years it bought many gift brands, including Harry & David and Shari's Berries, and became a broad gifting company. Few retailers from the 1999 class are still public. 1-800-Flowers still trades on Nasdaq under the ticker FLWS.

Cover: Bouquet of Flowers in an Earthenware Vase, Jan Brueghel, the elder. Art Institute of Chicago, public domain. Chosen for a bouquet of flowers.