NL: Despite summer temperatures, trade continues to flourish

Although
summer
is
still
in
full
swing
after
the
holidays
and
summer
temperatures
will
remain
for
a
while,
the
flower
trade
no
longer
seems
to
be
bothered
by
it.
Whereas
the
past
few
weeks
proved
different
with
little
trade,
things
seem
to
be
changing.
Mike
Duivenvoorden
of
Dutch
trading
company
Duif
Flowers,
shares
his
insights
on
how
the
market
is
developing
and
how
he
is
dealing
with
the
changing
conditions.
“Trading
is
fun,”
he
starts
enthusiastically,
“but
the
summer
months
can
be
challenging
at
times.”

July,
a
tricky
month
According
to
Mike,
July
was
a
difficult
month
for
the
flower
trade.
“People
go
on
holidays
and
there
are
fewer
weddings,”
he
explains.
This
caused
a
dip
in
sales,
as
many
florists
temporarily
closed
their
doors
or
reduced
purchasing.
“In
July,
there
was
less
purchasing,”
he
adds.
“But
now,
with
August
almost
over,
trade
is
picking
up
and
there
is
always
demand.”

Hydrangeas
and
roses
One
product
that
is
doing
well
is
hydrangea.
“There
are
still
a
lot
of
hydrangeas
coming
from
Dutch
soil,”
says
Mike.
“Although
the
peak
of
the
season
is
over,
the
flowers
remain
popular
and
are
still
on
the
clock.
Roses
also
abound,
there
are
actually
more
than
enough
of
them
on
sale.
That
does
not
mean
they
are
cheap,
as
flowers
are
not
at
the
moment,
but
fortunately
they
are
not
overpriced
either.
Demand
is
high,
but
price
ratios
always
remain
a
challenge.
Flowers
that
are
too
cheap
are
not
good
for
anyone,
not
for
me,
and
not
for
the
grower.
We
don’t
want
flowers
that
are
too
expensive
either,
that
affects
the
whole
chain.”

Higher
temperatures
Although
it
is
warm,
Mike
says
the
temperature
is
not
currently
having
a
major
impact
on
the
supply
of
flowers.
However,
he
does
note
that
some
customers
are
cautious
in
their
purchases.
He
says,
“Whereas
in
July
trade
was
clearly
down
due
to
the
high
temperatures,
this
week
that
is
remarkably
not
the
case.
Flower
shops
in
the
Netherlands
and
Belgium
are
also
not
buying
less,
which
was
the
case
at
the
beginning
of
the
summer.”

Wedding
season
“We
do
a
lot
for
weddings,
and
that
season
is
picking
up.
Of
all
my
trade,
about
60%
is
for
designers,
wedding
planners,
and
florists
who
need
flowers
for
weddings
and
parties.
With
the
wedding
season
just
around
the
corner,
the
challenge
for
myself
remains
to
keep
growing
as
a
business,”
Mike
concludes.