With the aim of sourcing flowers and plants more efficiently and transparent 247Flowers.online was founded in March 2021. The platform has grown significantly over the years, and owner Ed de Groot sees much more potential for growth as he travels the world to meet and greet existing and potential users. Next week, for example, he is traveling to Kazachstan, exhibiting at the Astana Flora Expo.
Ed de Groot at IPM Essen 2023
Shorter supply chain means cost reduction and fresher products
With years of experience in the Dutch flower industry, Ed de Groot has seen that sourcing flowers and plants can be done much more efficiently by means of digitization. “Flowers and plants can be delivered with fewer intermediaries and logistic handling by shortening the supply chain. This reduces costs, and the products remain fresher.” At 247Flowers.online, growers are connected directly to international wholesales, without traders and without keeping stock. “Prices shown on our platform are transparent and direct from the grower without the blur of added commissions. We can do this because we do not have any overhead costs.”
Logistics hub in the Netherlands
Whether a wholesaler makes their own arrangement with growers, purchases on the auction clock using KOA, FloraHolland auction clock presales, the 247Flowers.online platform, or API, the team of 247Flowers.online collects the products and prepares them for transport on their logistic hub at the auction facilities of Royal FloraHolland in the Netherlands. “We work with specialized and experienced partners in inbound and outbound logistics to take advantage of their economies of scale and, therefore, guarantee the lowest handling costs in the market. On top of that, the wholesaler can decide how they want to have the plants and flowers packed.”
Rapid growth
The platform went live in March 2021, and with their developing and marketing team, they quickly grew, increasing the number of suppliers and buyers on the platform. And according to De Groot, there is so much potential to grow even more. “After the pandemic, we saw a significant increase in the number of users. I think the main reason is that we were finally able to promote the platform at large exhibitions like the IFTF and IPM Essen.” The interest is always large, and De Groot, therefore, decided to travel the world to promote the platform. “Next week, I will go to Kazachstan, a market with a lot of potential, to meet importing wholesalers.”
For more information
247flowers.online
www.247flowers.online
