‘Around All Saints’ Day I can’t guarantee the quality of my products’
Why the Italian name?
“I was initially specialised in Italian flowers, which I imported directly at the time. I still sell a lot of Italian long-stemmed roses, heliconia, lilies and poppies, but I no longer get them straight from Italy. And I sell a lot of Ecuadorian roses these days.”
Who are your customers?
“Businesses make up 50% of my turnover. I’m based right in the middle of the diamond district; many of my customers are diamond jewellers, traders, hotels and restaurants. It’s a demanding market and I deliver compatible top quality.”
Are you looking forward to All Saints’ Day?
“No, I always close down for a week around that time. It’s a holiday which doesn’t mean an awful lot to my customers. Furthermore, around All Saints’ Day, prices generally increase while the quality isn’t the same because flowers are kept longer for that particular day. If I can’t guarantee product quality, I’d rather stay closed.”
How digital are you?
“I don’t have my own web shop. But I’m linked to topbloemen.nl. I don’t do any online purchasing either. I go to the wholesaler every day to choose the flowers myself. Because I’m there every day, I know exactly which products I should give a miss because they’ve been there since the day before. I do pay attention to growers’ names, but I don’t totally rely on them. The last couple of weeks, the roses of two renowned Dutch growers weren’t optimal. They were thin and short. So I bought someone else’s.”
Name: Fiori
Location: Antwerp
Speciality: Italian flowers
Assortment: 80% flowers, 10% plants, 10% other
Number of employees: 2
