ReadersDigestAustraliaNewZealand-March2018

March• 2018 | 93

S DIGEST

FROM FORBES.COM (APRIL 30, 2016) © FORBES

ding sys-

based on

that runs

rds: buy-

the clock

rice they

pay and

se how

hey want.

process

n the time

aragraph,

have sold

ms quaint

e bidding

ith more

rticipants

premises.

wers, right

ours they

ur dining

e such an

weddings,

ne’s Day –

lves.

prise: the

he Neth-

osition in

p y the inter-

net, the economic crisis, competi-

tion from new low-cost growers and

changing consumer tastes. Shortly

after 2009, Royal FloraHolland’s con-

sistent growth trajectory – on the up

250,000 jobs are th
uct directly and in
of the flower mark
Royal FloraHol
a cooperative wit
members, 9000
pliers, 2500 cus
ers and 3000 empl
The largest of the
is at Aalsmeer, jus
Schipol Airport, s
the centre of Ams
Here, in a huge c
building, hund
mini-trucks haul
ons full of pla
flowers whizz
other workers on
vehicles in an are
of 200 soccer fie
proximately 990,
metres.
The flowers a
usually overnight
tion five days a w
starts at 6am and
10am. Elsewhere
Royal FloraHolla
flower sellers ran
family-owned o
chains, such as Te
bidding against th
lions of flowers so y

Race Against the Clock

The auction works in reverse: rather
than bidding up the price, Royal
Flora Holland’s auction bids down.

READER’S

The bid

temisb

aclock

backwar

ers stop

atthe p

wwantto

en advi

manyplants th

Thenthe clockresets.The

mmmovesatlightningspeed.In

iitttakesyou to readthis pa

RRRoyalFloraHollandwould h

pperhaps tenlots offlowers.

Totheobserver, it allseem

inan efficient sort ofway:the

isdone on computers, wi

than half of the auctionpar

doingtheirbiddingoffthep

Yethere are the actualflow

underyour nose. Withinho

could beinabouquet onyo

roomtable.Andflowersare

all-purpose commodity–w

funerals, birthdays, Valentin

theypracticallysell themsel

Disruptive

Forces Abound

pp

But there’s another surp

flowerbusiness andt

erland’s leadership po

it have been ‘disrupted’byt

heprod-

ndirectly

kets.

lland is

h 4500

sup-

stom-

loyees.

markets

st below

south of

sterdam.

concrete

dreds of

ingwag-

nts and

around

nsmaller

eathe size

elds – ap-

0 00 square

rrivedaily,

,for theauc-

week,which

dends around

inthebuilding,

ndcustomers –

ngingfrom small

outlets to mega

esco in the UK, are

heclockon themil-

old each day.