When talking to people* in the field in the Netherlands, it is clear: almost none of the Avalanche+ roses are being sold in The States. Why is that? With a couple of phone calls to people from the flower industry, like rose buyers from the largest export companies, and traders in the field in the US, in this article, you will get an explanation why Avalanche+ roses are not (yet) being sold in large numbers in the U.S. But will they be in the future?
Number One White Rose in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
The Avalanche+ rose is the best-selling white rose in the high segments of the markets in Europe. The Avalanche+ rose is definitely the number one white rose there. Large buds, thick stems, a very good vase life, and the nice shape of the flower itself.
The opening of the flowers is also really good. Florists and floral designers love to work with them. Without any risk, they can easily buy this variety and work with it in their designs, without any worry of bad quality or performance problems of any kind. Grown mainly in the best circumstances in Dutch greenhouses, they are being shipped all around Europe, to the Middle East, and to Asia. Even in Japan, these amazing roses are in demand. Then why are they not being sold in the U.S.?
Is It the Price?
The first thing that comes to mind is the pricing of products. And for the biggest part of the volume of flowers being sold, that can be true. On average, the price of the (white) Avalanche+ roses is a bit higher than the white roses that are imported from Ecuador. And that is only logical because it's a much shorter flight from Ecuador to Miami. This is, of course, way cheaper than flying roses in from Europe.
So we can definitely say the pricing of the Avalanche+ roses in the US has got something to do with the difficulty to find these roses. They are more expensive. On average up to 20-30% of the value of 'normal' white roses. The 'competitors' of Avalanche+ can be categorized as follows below. Do you recognize them?
Correct, they're called Mondial and Vendela.
Is It the Quality?
We know the quality of the Avalanche+ roses is really high. Boxing them for transport is not a problem for Avalanche+ roses, especially when you sent them a bit more raw. The advantage of the Avalanche+ roses is that they open fully on the vase. When talking about quality it is always formed by opinion. Without naming names, we can definitely say the quality of this specific rose is not found regularly in other roses imported from Ecuador.
Is It the Size?
For sure, some white rose varieties from Ecuador are bigger. But bigger is not always better. It depends on the use and purpose of the flower in the design. And the size of the Avalanche+ rose is really not that much smaller than most large roses from Ecuador. Look at the picture below from a retailer in London. They are magnificent, aren't they?
We, therefore, like to believe there must be a market for the Avalanche+ roses in the US, even though the roses are more expensive.
Why?
Because the roses have a unique shape and way of blooming. It is an unprecedented white rose in Europe and in other countries around the world. This has a reason, and in time you can see more and more Avalanche+ roses being offered in the US. Also because this variety of rose has got many sister roses in tones that are very popular. Have a look at the pastel-tinted Sweet Avalanche+, Pearl Avalanche+, Peach Avalanche+ and Pink Avalanche+ below:
*Special thanks to rose buyers Dick-Jan van Delft from Hilverda de Boer, and Paul Bax from Holex. And Marco Groot, CEO of Hilverda De Boer USA for sharing their knowledge with Thursd. Would you like to try Avalanches? Just ask for the Avalanche+ at your local wholesaler. We know for sure that in the US, Hilverda De Boer USA and Holex USA have access to these strong beauties, as they import directly from the best growers in the Netherlands. You can read about all the Avalanche+® varieties and their growers in this Thursd. article.
