Westbury, NY, July 13, 1997-1-800-FLOWERS, the world's largest florist, today announced the grand opening of its largest store in the world. The company's newest franchise, a Conroy's/1-800-FLOWERS store in Palmdale, Calif., will hold a July 16 ribbon-cutting ceremony with 1-800-FLOWERS President Jim McCann, Palmdale Mayor James Ledford, Jr. and American Red Cross Executive Director Fran Stewart. As part of the festivities, the Palmdale store will contribute a percentage of its grand opening week revenues to the building of a new Red Cross facility in the area.

The Palmdale store is one of the largest of its kind in the world. With its 5,800 square feet spread out over two stories, the store features 30-foot ceilings, an interior fountain, a cooler specifically for bridal displays, and the latest in flower handling and preservation technology. And like all 1-800-FLOWERS stores, the Palmdale location has walk-in coolers, product clearly labeled and placed throughout the store for customers to handle and centrally-located design areas where customers can interact with floral designers.

"The Palmdale shop offers the customer a great experience," 1-800-FLOWERS President Jim McCann said. "Like all 1-800-FLOWERS stores, the Palmdale store is very open and well-lit. The way our stores are designed gives customers the chance to touch, feel and really learn about flowers and how to care for them in a fun way."

In addition to the donation to the Red Cross, other events surrounding the grand opening include a July 20 drawing for one year's worth of flowers. Also on the 20th, radio station KTPI-FM will hold a remote broadcast at the store; there will also be a classic car show in the store's parking lot that day.

Michael J. Mitchener and Mark A. Mitchener, third generation florists, own and manage the Palmdale store. The Mitchener family also own three other Conroy's/1-800-FLOWERS franchises in California. 1-800-FLOWERS has more than 150 franchises throughout the world under the Conroy's/1-800-FLOWERS name.

1-800-FLOWERS, headquartered in Westbury, New York, is the world's largest florist with $300 million in sales and more than 2,000 employees. Recognized as a leading integrated marketer, 1-800-FLOWERS is accessible through the company's stores, via the Internet and through on-line services, and by calling 1-800-FLOWERS 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All 1-800-FLOWERS orders are hand-crafted to reflect the sentiments of the sender and are delivered only through the best neighborhood florists worldwide.