NL: Export drop in Germany especially evident for plants
Bettina Denker-Gosch, market specialist at Royal FloraHolland, shed some light on these sales figures. Compared with 2014, exports were down by 3.8%, equivalent to a decrease of €83 million for 2015 according to figures from Floridata. The stagnation in export was especially seen for plants. What are the possible causes of this change?
Bettina clarified, "Germany continues to expand its own provision of in plants, leading to a rise in local production. That could be one cause. We also see a drop in the consumption of flowers and plants. Germany stands out with €328 million, a decrease of 4.6% compared with the year before. More was sold through florists than in the supermarket, which probably produced a drop in the total value of consumption. The figures also reveal that Italy exported more plants to Germany.
Rose is most commonly traded flower
Large quantities of cut flowers are still exported from the Netherlands to Germany. Figures from Floridata revealed that the export dropped by €5,000 from 2014 to 2015, which is very low compared to the drop in exports evident for plants. Roses remain the most commonly traded flower (46%), followed by tulips (16%).
Research by the Flower Council Holland (Cadeaumonitor 2014) showed that flowers and plants are at the top of the list of the three most commonly given presents in Germany (14%). Clothing and cosmetics were at number two (11%), followed by gift certificates with 9%. In comparison, flowers and plants are at number 3 in the UK and France.
"I am from here"
Germany is a country with several evident trends. For example, regional products have a good image. "In Germany the manufacturers are often small scale and close to society. German consumers have a strong link to their local product. This is the trend that German wholesalers have been responding to since 2013 with the label 'I am from here'."
Honest product
Sustainability is also very important. German consumers are choosing honest products more often, ones grown with respect for humans and the environment. Certificates and labels that give a supermarket or florist insight into how sustainably the flowers were grown are gaining in importance. "Dutch growers are responding to sustainability, and could do even more towards this in the future," said Bettina.
Source: Royal FloraHolland
