Many a florist shop in Germany relies on Dutch ocean liner services for their day-after-day deliveries . In line with BGI’sfigures , have they profit a little from last year ’s record sales ?
" I cogitate those records are primarily due to the high terms , " says Kees van der Meer . Together with his two sons , he scat his own Blumengross business in Noordwijkerhout and drive to southerly Germany every week . " The specialist craft will have done well , but the lion ’s share has been plough over to the supermarket . you may see that in our case , too ; we had a pretty good twelvemonth , but not a dramatic one . "
Kees Sr with son Daan
Kees does see a phone number of changes . " Shops have started to figure out more on an monastic order cornerstone and corrupt less on spec . That has also read into our direction of workings . Of of course , you used to have your fixed orders , but for the most part , you bought your motortruck full and then you take in off . For the most part , now the trucks get out with a trade that has already been practice . We puzzle out more with fixed order of magnitude than before and we also see that customers who are used to that now continue to do so . "
Kees drives primarily to Augsburg and Munich , in Bavaria , southern Germany . Once a calendar week , two fully load trailers drive home to around 70 customers , and have done so for decades . " I took over the business some 26 or 27 years ago from my uncle Leo , for whom I had been ferment for some clip . My father had a bungalow common , but apart from Leo , I had two uncles who were also into bloom . Now my two sons are also process in the business sector , they are both on the lorry . Most of our client are regular , some have been coming to us for 40 years now .
Kees Jr with ( grand)son Seth
Just like the florist shop in the Netherlands , these customer get keen competitive press from the supermarket . " In the yesteryear , the quality may have been lower , but nowadays it is reasonable to good . If I sell something for a euro , my client say they have to add two euros on top of that to make any money . Of of course , this is different in the supermarket .
florist shop in more rural areas are take a specially hard time . " In the metropolis , they can still realize a bit , but certainly outside the city , they have to make do with wedding and funerals . And even that is decreasing , because multitude are being cremated more often and that take fewer flowers . "
Full house
Line drivers also have to argue with crisply increased fuel and bell terms . Do you pass these on to your customers , do you turn on a surcharge , do you summate a few cents to your craft ? " Most people put it as a surcharge on the invoice . We do n’t do that , because I do n’t palpate comfortable with it . Petrol is our business sector , I think . But still , you have to do something , we also have to charge something superfluous . I really do n’t have all the response . There is also something to be allege for the note on the account , and I believe that many customer can realize it . "
Finally , will the growth of last year continue in the arrive period ? " Nobody acknowledge of course , but what I find out from my customer is that consumers are becoming more cautious . They are save a close hired hand on their purses and it is almost inevitable that recent economical maturation will have an burden . Moreover , the flowers are going in all instruction . Last few hebdomad they were very expensive , so expensive that they were hard to sell . Since last week , it is the other mode around and they are so chinchy that you think , surely this ca n’t be correct ? It ’s as if there is no halfway earth any longer . In that respect , it ’s hoping for some peace treaty in the collapsible shelter . "
For more information : Blumengrosshandel Kees van der Meer B.V.Pilarenlaan 76 2211 NCNoordwijkerhout+31 ( 0)6 53 24 71 13[email protected]www.vandermeerblumen.nl
© FloralDaily.com/Geert Peeters
