Have you ever wondered how a rose planted in Kenya would be in a vase in New York within a period of 48 hours? It is a colorful and dynamic world that never rests, as the international flower business is fast-paced.
It is a beautiful business, which is characterized by wonderful speed and good timing. Whether it is a huge auction or a small flower shop, seconds are counted when you are dealing with such fragile and living products.
In this article, you will get to know about mobile access in flower auctions, grower to designer journey, the importance, new technology in logistics, and future trends.
You can find more floral inspiration here: Fairtrade Flowers and What Makes Them Tick All the Right Boxes
Reliable Mobile Access at Flower Markets and Auctions
The auction house is the center of the flower world. The best-known one is in the Netherlands, where millions of flowers are sold daily at high speed. The buyers are seated in large rooms, where they see screens counting down prices.
It is a very stressful place where decisions are taken within seconds. Given the speed at which everything moves, buyers need to stay in touch with their teams and inventory systems at all times.
Failure of their internet for even a minute may cost them thousands of dollars on their stock or a very large amount on a batch of lilies. For foreign consumers or tourists venturing around these huge hubs, a reliable data connection is the only way to stay in touch.
In case you are heading to San Fernando, a Holafly plan for Mexico will make sure that you can monitor the current prices of the market and maintain contact with the shop back home, without any delays.
When you are online, you can research the exact varieties that are being sold, inspect the quality of the growers, and even handle the logistics of shipping and do it all when you are standing on the auction floor.
In addition to bidding, the auction houses are enormous. Others are so huge that they are like mini cities. That means that for you to get to the various loading docks and cooling rooms, you have to use GPS so as to know your way around.
You can coordinate with truck drivers and cargo planes in real time thanks to reliable mobile access.
How Flowers Move From Growers to Designers
Flowers are perishable, and that's why they need little time to do nearly everything so that you can keep them in the best condition before they reach the market. So, how do flowers move from growers to designers?
The process of a flower is a complicated relay race in which a number of hands are involved. It needs a well-scheduled sequence of activities so that a flower appears fresh when it reaches your wedding venue or home.
Here is a look at the steps involved in the process
- Farm Harvesting: The harvesting of flowers is done manually at the specific stage of flower development, typically in the early morning. Thereafter, the flowers are dipped in water and transferred to a cold room.
- The Cooling Phase: The most important step is this one. Pre-cooling of flowers is done to eliminate field heat, which decreases their breathing rate and consequently prevents wilting during transportation.
- International Transport: The majority of the flowers are transported by plane in temperature-controlled cargo holds. They are loaded into special boxes that allow a small amount of airflow and retain moisture.
- The Auction Hub: This is where millions of stems are brought to central locations, sorted, sold, and sent back to other nations within a few hours.
- Wholesale Distribution: Local wholesalers purchase the flowers and deliver them in refrigerated vehicles to flower designers and retail stores in their local area.
- The Final Design: The flowers are given to the Florists who hydrate them with fresh water and nutrients and then do the pretty design, which we see in stores.
The Role of Speed and Coordination in Floristry
In the flower business, time is money is not only a slogan but a rule. The flower is a very perishable commodity. Since the time it is cut off at its roots, its life in the vase starts to time itself out. That is the reason why the industry depends on a cold chain.
This is a refrigerated sequence that maintains the flowers at a constant temperature from the farm to the florist. If this chain is broken, e.g., because a box of roses is placed on a hot tarmac at an airport, the flowers will bloom too soon and die soon after purchase.
This cold chain is achieved through coordination. It involves the grower in South America, the customs agent at the border, and the truck driver in the city being in constant communication. By doing so, you ensure the product reaches the customer on time and in good condition.
When a plane misses its schedule, all those who are behind must make timely changes immediately to ensure that the flights are not left to heat. Such a high degree of coordination is a wonder in modern logistics.
Technology’s Influence on Flower Logistics
The use of technology has entirely transformed the way flowers are sold and purchased. It has not only made the market more transparent but also far more efficient, which makes it possible to have a variety of flowers throughout the year.
The following are some of the most important technological tools in use today:
- The use of technology has entirely transformed the way flowers are sold and purchased. It has not only made the market more transparent but also far more efficient, which makes it possible to have a vast range of flowers throughout the year. The following are some of the most important technological tools in use today:
- Online Auction Sites: Customers no longer have to drive to the auction house to bid; they can do so on their laptops in real time, no matter where they are in the world.
- Automated Sorting Machines: It is possible to use high-speed cameras and robots to sort flowers by color, stem length, and openness much faster and more precisely than a human could.
- GPS and Temperature Tracking: Sensors in the shipping boxes provide live information to the buyer's phone about the flowers' position and whether the temperature in the box is excessively high.
Trends Shaping the Future of the Flower Trade
The flower trade is becoming increasingly environmentally conscious. Citizens are now interested in knowing how their flowers are grown, and the result is less plastic and improved water use on farms.
Many designers also emphasize seasonal flowers that grow in their area to help the planet by reducing air travel. There is also an increasing subscription to flowers, which allows the growers to plan more and less waste.
There is also the rise of the so-called slow flower movement, which emphasizes local farms and rare flower varieties. The future is predicted to feature both advanced global shipping and a love of fresh, local beauty.
Header Image by @newbloomsolutions
