At Euroveiling, a new generation of Belgian florists is opting for remote buying and is having flowers and plants delivered by the auction. Many older buyers still populate the stands in the auction hall every day. Director Sim Echelpoels: "Customers come here for social interaction and a sandwich. This will continue; auctioning will always be a mix of physical and digital."
It is 8.45 on a Wednesday morning. Five clocks are turning on the LED wall in the auction room at Euroveiling in Brussels. The room is quite busy. During my visit, it is becoming clear that the auction is most like Plantion in Ede in the Netherlands. In Brussels, physical auctioning is king, while digitisation is added proportionally.
Many young Belgian buyers prefer remote buying though. They wake up and get behind their computer screens in their pyjamas, a cup of coffee within reach. Cameras in the auction room provide these remote buyers with images of the supply. To make sure they don't miss anything, auction staff also hold the flowers and plants up in front of one of the cameras.