Aquarelle

About Aquarelle

In 1987, brothers Henri and François de Maublanc opened their first Aquarelle flower shop in Rennes, France. Over the next decade, they built a network of physical stores across the country, establishing a reputation for quality. A pivotal moment came in 1997 when a customer's request to send a bouquet across France sparked an idea. This led the brothers to launch Aquarelle.com, becoming a pioneer in online flower delivery. The company differentiated itself by centralizing its operations. Instead of relying on a network of local florists, Aquarelle established its own large-scale workshop, first in the Paris region and later in a restored 19th-century distillery in Brasseuse. This allowed them to control quality and introduce a key innovation in 1998: sending customers a photo of the actual bouquet before it was shipped, ensuring what they saw online was what the recipient got. This focus on consistency and transparency helped build a loyal customer base. By the early 2000s, Aquarelle.com had almost completely replaced the company's original retail business. The firm expanded its e-commerce offerings, adding chocolates in 2005 and later gift boxes and candles. In a significant strategic move in 2015, the Aquarelle Group acquired the 123fleurs network, which allowed them to offer same-day delivery through local florists, complementing their centralized model. While the company remains privately held by the founding family, it has made its own acquisitions, including the meal-kit company Foodette in 2019, which it later sold in 2024 to refocus on its core flower business.