FPC Tulp, together with Product Manager Coen Verspeek, visited Budapest, Bratislava, and Vienna last week. The aim was to get an idea of the market in this region around International Women’s Day. Over three days, the FPC visited florists, supermarkets, wholesalers, and a nursery.
What stood out was that the tulip is eagerly sought after by consumers. “At some supermarkets, we were disappointed that there were no tulips. Upon inquiry it turned out that the tulips had already been sold,” says FPC Tulip chairman Arjan Smit. “At another location, three pallets had been delivered in the morning, and by now, they were as good as gone. As we stood watching, the tulips were bought by several people.”
Prices varied considerably from around €2.50 per bunch in a supermarket in Budapest to €2.00 per flower in a flower kiosk in central Vienna.
Arjan Smit
Florists are looking for assortment and quality. So special varieties and heavy tulips give them a chance to stand out from the supermarket assortment. After all, they cannot compete with the ‘standard’ bunch of tulips in the supermarket.
On average, sales around International Women’s Day seem to have been good. Actually, that was true for all flowers and certainly for tulips. “We also see that in the current pricing,” adds Coen Verspeek Product manager Tulip and Lily. “Sales have been good, and we see that demand for tulips, therefore, remains at a good level.”
“The market visit gave us a complete picture of the opportunities in the countries mentioned. Beforehand, we received a country report from Royal FloraHolland with information on demographics, economic development, and chain information. This made us well prepared for this trip,” says Arjan Smit. “The icing on the cake was, of course, meeting King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima!”
Royal Floraholland’s market visit was a collaboration with the Dutch Embassy in Budapest. “They thought along with the program and showed us the way on location. This is really a top cooperation that we will also continue in our other market visits.” Coen Verspeek is a great supporter of market visits and will join us in Poland again in September. “A market visit gives you a lot of information, but also a lot of inspiration. I notice that growers return full of energy and see many opportunities to get started with their product.”
Would you also like to join us on a market visit?
If you join one of our market visits, you can be sure to get a complete picture of your chosen country. In addition, it offers a unique opportunity to view and compare your product in your selected country and to network informally with other industry professionals. This way, you will go home with a wealth of information, and you will be able to (even) better adapt your product(s) to the customers’ needs!
Through this link you will find the information about this year’s four market visits for flower growers and here for the four market visits for plant growers. A limited number of places are available, and registration is on a first-come-first-served basis.
Source: Royal FloraHolland
