Rose grower Arie van den Berg from Delfgauw also notices this. “Flowers were delivered to hospitals and grandfather and grandmother. Sales here were still relatively high.”
And does it help that tomorrow is Mother’s Day? “Mother’s Day is always the most important week of the year,” says Van Schie. “We are not at last year’s level, but it has picked up.”
Luxury item
“In countries whose borders are open, the consumption of flowers is higher. Also because people have time to visit their mother,” observes rose grower Van den Berg. “Incidentally, we see here in the Netherlands that online sales have exploded. The online shops still have a challenge to prepare and deliver all the bouquets.
But the end of the hard times is not yet in sight. “It was less disappointing than we estimated eight weeks ago, but I am pessimistic,” says the rose grower. “People underestimate the importance of a good economy for a rose grower. We are a luxury item, so we are first off the shopping list.”
Van den Berg has not yet heard of colleagues who have gone bankrupt. “Maybe also because the banks cooperate well with loans and repayments. But colleagues and customers will die if this lasts longer.”
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