In ten years’ time, the share of retail as part of Floral Trade Group’s turnover has increased significantly. Currently, the retail division of the Rijnsburg company is experiencing some challenges, but management is not gloomy about it at all. “We could hang our heads, but that would only make us bump into things and eventually stumble. We just have to act smarter.”
“We have even closed a few extra,” Commercial Director Klaas Damsma responds when asked whether Floral Trade Group (FTG) has closed many deals with retailers yet. Together with Financial Director Richard van Duijn and Director of Operations Jaap Hogewoning, he runs Retail Flowers & Plants, which has been the new name of FTG’s retail division since November.
Damsma attributes closing ‘a few extra’ deals to the impending shortages last autumn, which seemed to continue into spring. “We advised our customers of this, telling them that pre-ordering more products would bring more peace and quiet to them and to growers.” In addition, a number of strategic decisions in the plant division have led to additional growth faster than expected.
