The Interprovincial Flower Market generates most of its turnover from its delivery service for customers. The role of the clock is limited at the Montreal-based auction. According to General Manager Andriy Migunov „The clock is still an important part of our business, but it has become a marketing tool rather than a big money maker.”
Last year, the Interprovincial Flower Market would have celebrated its fiftieth birthday, but the celebration was postponed due to the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 and the sanitary restrictions imposed by the Province of Quebec. In addition, General Manager Andriy Migunov preferred the festivities to coincide with the presentation of a new platform, the development of which had suffered delays.
Migunov has only been head of the Montreal auction since November 2020 but is well-versed in its history. At around the same time that Ontario Flower Growers saw the light of day in Mississauga, growers from the provinces of Ontario and Quebec founded a flower auction in Montreal. „It was meant to be a platform where growers could sell their products. The auctioning system was based on that of the Dutch auctions, and the clock was mechanical,” explains Migunov. Over the years, the system evolved drastically, first from mechanical clock auctioning to digital projections on a ‘clock front’ and then from physical to virtual auctioning.