Europe: "Mother's Day rush not yet over"

Mother's Day has come and gone in the Netherlands, but the activity hasn't slowed down, according to auctioneer Erik Boland. He explains that in some countries, Mother's Day is celebrated at different times, while also sharing his thoughts on the upcoming summer season, discussing company visits, and the innovative abilities of growers.

© RFH

Last weekend marked Mother's Day in the Netherlands, creating a lively buzz in the flower and plant industry. Thousands of carts filled with flowers and plants were traded, all intended to bring joy to mothers, grandmothers, and other special people. But is the busy period over for growers and traders? Not quite. Mother's Day is celebrated on various dates around the world. In the Netherlands, it falls on the second Sunday of May, similar to many other European countries. However, some countries have yet to celebrate. France, Poland, and Sweden will observe Mother's Day at the end of this month, while Belgium will celebrate it in August.

Peak Helpers
So, the pace hasn't slowed down yet. On busy days, even office staff at Royal FloraHolland pitch in with distribution and order picking. Last week, Royal FloraHolland's CEO, Pieter Boomsma, joined as a 'peak helper' during an early auction day. We're all working hard to ensure that all purchased flowers and plants reach buyers efficiently and promptly.

Nowadays, buyers can choose when their products are delivered. We call this time-slot delivery. This helps buyers to better plan their logistical processes and prevents carts from remaining unused in the box for too long. Handy, right?

Summer Approaching
Summer is approaching, and during this time, demand often decreases while the production of flowers and plants remains high. As a result, we sometimes see that pricing comes under pressure.

The supply of summer flowers like Peony, Delphinium, Poppy, and Digitalis is beginning to increase. Meanwhile, suppliers who provide flowers year-round may offer slightly fewer products. However, the variety of summer flowers continues to attract customers to keep purchasing. The flowers sold in the Netherlands are distributed worldwide.

For plants, prices are likely to decrease after the French Mother's Day. After that, it's a waiting game until week 33, when everyone returns from vacation and demand typically increases again.

Innovation and Advice During Company Visits
As auctioneers, we regularly visit growers to discuss important topics. We offer advice on auctioning, such as identifying the best days for pricing, creating strong clock photos, and effectively presenting products. The order in which products are auctioned is also crucial for achieving good prices. Through these tips, we help growers secure the best market prices. I always recommend using Clocknews for promotion—it's the daily news for buyers about everything related to the auction clock. If a grower introduces a new variety or has specific products available, they can promote it there. This newsletter reaches about 1,200 buyers, providing excellent free advertising. Buyers can subscribe by emailing [email protected].

Growers continue to impress us with their innovations. Recently, I visited a Pot Rose supplier who developed a machine for planting cuttings. This means the cuttings no longer need to be transported back and forth to Poland; they stay in the Netherlands. This innovation saves on transport costs, improves quality, and reduces the need for manual labor.

How wonderful it is to work in such an innovative and flourishing sector!