Flower Mania in Holland
A Day Trip to the World's Largest Flower Auction
Located 10 miles southwest of Amsterdam in the town of Aalsmeer, this international marketplace for fresh cut flowers is the largest in the world. It’s co-op owned by Dutch and International growers and handles over 60% of the world’s cut flower trade.
For people journeying to Holland and looking for a fun-filled day trip, the market will undoubtedly be enlightening; visitors will see flowers bought and sold in a matter of seconds.
During a whirlwind morning, a flurry of 19 million flowers pass through the Aalsmeer Market on a daily basis. There are over one million square meters in the market’s warehouse where tracks are laid; this is where trolleys with boundless buckets of flowers are put on display for viewing and buying purposes.
Over 13 thousand varieties of flowers are sold at the auction and they’re quickly loaded onto delivery trucks and driven to Schiphol International Airport in Amsterdam. After placing flowers in the cargo hold of commercial airliners, flights take off for North America and all over the world. Almost 10% of all flowers sold in the US arrive from the Netherlands. After passing through customs in the states, the flowers are then distributed to wholesalers. Flowers remain boxed, without water and refrigerated until the floral trade purchases them. The next stop: a florist shop, the corner market or the grocery store.
The United States falls low on the totem pole when it comes to purchasing flowers for personal use. Only 28% of Americans buy cut flowers. In Europe, buying flowers is a weekly staple for most people. In Germany 76% of the population buys cut flowers, and in France, 60% of the population. In Great Britain, it’s 63% of the population. And, of course, the Dutch are over half at 55%. However, when an American buys cut flowers, they spend an average of $15.00 more per transaction, which compensates for the low number of households who purchase this luxury item.
For anyone who is visiting Holland and curious about the export of flowers, you will see companies bidding on flowers with prices starting high and working down. It’s exciting to watch thousands of transactions take place in a very short period of time. It doesn’t take long to realize that flowers are a big business.
For prime viewing, the best time to visit the auction is early in the week between 7:00 and 9:00am. The auction is closed on Saturdays and Sundays.
Admission:
Adults: 5.00 euros-$7.88 USD
Children: 3.00 euros-$4.73 USD
The #172 bus from Centraal Station in Amsterdam will take you to Aalsmeer in less than twenty minutes.
Tip: Cafes open late in Amsterdam, so be sure to make coffee in your hotel room before leaving.
Address:
Bloemenveiling Aasmeer
Legmeerdijk 313
Netherlands
Tel: +31 029 739 2185
