A small business owner who specialises in trendy flower arrangements with a signature and (formally) unique ‘newspaper style’ wrapping, has exposed the owner of Doughnut Time for stealing the identity, style and vibe of her flower business.
Tom Anderson, who is known for being the CEO of a luxury Doughnut delivery service, followed Feyi Flowers several months ago, when some might say he began plotting his next business venture.
The founder of the innovative flower company, Eni Awoyemi, who shared how the situation has affected her as a single mother with no financial backing, uploaded a TikTok video detailing the step-by-step betrayal while showcasing evidence that Anderson had been an active follower on her business page.
Not only did he follow and view her content, photo evidence suggests that he even purchased a £39.99 bundle of flowers from the brand on August 17th 2024…Market research maybe?
Awoyemi explained how she was excited when she realised a founder of a successful business had shown interest in her start-up, until she stumbled across a collaboration Doughnut Time advertised with ‘Fond Flowers’.
Fond Flowers, which launched less than two weeks ago but suspiciously already had 20,000 followers (Feyi Flowers had 5,000 at the time), had more in common with Awoyemi’s brand than the name abbreviation (FF)…
That’s right, the brand had also adopted Feyi’s signature newspaper wrapping, as well as copying the style, tone and aesthetic of the originator, all examples being detailed by Awoyemi.
And just when you think this might be a bizarre coincidence, the plot thickens. It turns out, according to the investigation conducted by Awoyemi, the founder of the flower competitor is a woman who happens to be in a relationship with Tom Anderson. Yes. The Doughnut Time founder…and the long-standing follower of Feyi Flowers.
Amusingly, the two dont seem to be trying to conceal their affiliation. Despite having over 300,000 followers, Doughnut Time only follows one other account. You guessed it, Fond Flowers. And more strategically, the two businesses have teamed up to offer their customers a chance to win free products.
The giveaway is an obvious marketing move, and perhaps a way for Anderson to see a faster return on his alleged investment.
And if there was any doubt that this was indeed a sneaky and deceitful move by a company with lots of means against a start-up with limited funds, a quick google search will show that both Fond Flowers and Doughnut Time are registered under the same address...
Eni Awoyemi describes the ordeal as “disgusting” and discusses how the situation against her business is evidence of how black and brown people are at a disadvantage when trying to make it as entrepreneurs.
“The people who already have the finances can just recreate your brand, put the money in it, and think it’s nothing”, she said.
Fond Flowers briefly deactivated their account following the backlash but have since reinstated it. However, the comments on the page have been majorly restricted, censoring any mention of 'idea theft' under the comments.
As of right now, Anderson still follows Feyi Flowers, and neither him or his new flower company (according to the registered addresses) have spoken out about the controversy.
“The audacity to still be following my brand and actually create this business. I’m in shock.”
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