Germany has been the foremost sales market for Dutch plants and flowers for years. The German economy is struggling, however, which affects consumer spending on greenery. German consumers are keeping a tight hand on the purse strings, causing the total market for plants, cut flowers and flower bulbs to shrink.
At IPM, on the stage in hall 5 of the exhibition centre in Essen, Germany, Nicola Fink talks with great enthusiasm about the demos set up by florist from home and abroad. According to Fink, florists are very professional, creative, know a lot about flowers and offer emotion. As a representative of the German trade association for florists, FDF, it is her job to be optimistic, but she won’t close her eyes to the harsh reality in Germany: “People are insecure because of the political situation in Germany and the bad economy. The world is changing, and florists have to deal with that.”
Manfred Hoffmann joins the conversation. He is a florist with two shops in Düsseldorf and Creative Director at FDF. Hoffmann sees German floristry struggle and global developments accelerate. “Everyone wants more every day, at lower prices,” he explains. “We face more bureaucracy, higher costs and staff shortages, and existing staff demand a better work-life balance, with the scales tipping towards life.”
