JD.com has imported one million tulips from the Netherlands, marking the largest direct air shipment of Dutch tulips to China.
The shipment, sourced from the FloraHolland auction center in Aalsmeer—the world's largest floral marketplace—arrived in Guangzhou on 27 February. The flowers will be stored at a dedicated floral warehouse operated by JD Logistics before distribution across the country.
The China Flower Association reported that in 2023, the sector reached (CNY216.58/€28.41m), with online sales accounting for over half of total transactions. E-commerce growth and improved cold chain logistics have driven demand for imported flowers, with China's total flower imports reaching €260m in 2023, according to the General Administration of Customs. The Netherlands supplied more than 60% of the total. JD.com has seen a significant surge in tulip sales, recording a 20-fold increase in 2024 compared to the previous year.
To maintain freshness, JD Logistics used specialised packaging and kept temperatures between 2-8°C throughout transit.
Read more at Retail Asia