Name: Benoit DehecqCompany: Qualiflor BV, HonselersdijkFunction: CEOMain market: FrancePurchasing: through auction clock and direct from nurseries Number of employees: 18
Who are your customers?
‘We sell flowers and plants to French retailers from our subsidiaries in the Netherlands and Lille. All our products are grown in the Netherlands. We supply the whole package, from small items to luxury products. For Mother’s Day, for example, the prices can be as high as EUR 40 per bouquet or plant.’
Do these expensive products sell well?
‘The luxury products are only a small part of our turnover, but the demand is definitely there. There is little difference between our bouquets and those on sale in a flower shop. As far as plants are concerned, we sell, for example, phalaenopsis with six stems, presented in a luxurious plant pot including nice packaging. We only sell these for special days.’
What do you sell at other times?
‘We mainly sell roses and a lot of tulips in season, of course. Our main plants are phalaenopsis and potted roses. But we keep abreast of the latest trends and are able to respond rapidly when there is a market surplus of a particular product. Then we do a promotional offer.’
Is the crisis still noticeable?
‘Yes, the crisis is still clearly going on in France. That is why people still don’t buy flowers for themselves. Fortunately, the French do not skimp on flowers and plants for Mother’s Day, which is the first important sales day for us after Christmas.’
How are your prospects for the future?
‘I am not worried about the long term; France is a big country and has a relatively high birth rate. In the short term, however, the economic situation will not improve. The pressure of supermarkets on their suppliers to deliver as cheaply as possible will certainly not decrease. In times of crisis, the larger margins have absolute priority for a supermarket. So, the competition between exporters will remain fierce.’
