Esperit Plants experiences more price stability with Central Auctioning
November 12, 2024
On 21 November, we will take the next step in Central Auctioning, with all other plants switching to central clocks. By concentrating supply and demand per product type on a central clock, we encourage optimal pricing. Robbert van Spronsen of Esperit Plants experiences more price stability on the first central plant clock sales that has been in place since March this year.
Esperit Plants grows all kinds of atmospheric green plants, such as Ficus, Alocasia, Musa and Monstera. The biggest label is Esperit Ficuss, the proprietary brand name for the dozens of ficus species grown by Esperit Plants.
“This year, we are doing about three quarters of our sales through direct channels and a quarter via clock sales,” Robbert says. “Between April and September, we do a larger share through clock sales. We try to do more direct sales because that's where we get the highest turnover. But that is sometimes difficult since there is not always the same demand from direct trade - or because we don't know how to find all buyers. The clock has a wider audience.”
Pricing more even
“From 14 March this year, we gradually started auctioning an increasing proportion of our items via the new central clock for green plants,” the ’s-Gravenzande-based grower explains. “Now only the ficus are not yet switched to Central Auctioning, that will happen as of 21 November. At Central Auctioning I mainly notice that prices are a bit closer together. For ficus plants price differences can be as high as 50 cents, but for the plants that have already been transferred to Central Auctioning the difference is a lot smaller. I don't really notice that I get a bigger price advantage – there are fewer outliers. It varies from day to day, of course, but with Central Auctioning there is more balance between the clock sales of Naaldwijk and Aalsmeer – I have less insight into the Rijnsburg sales. Because pricing is more even, as a grower you can respond more easily to the exporter's needs. All in all, I have no worries about this development and that is positive – it now goes along with the daily business.”
Necessary development
It is mainly the combination of current developments that Robbert appreciates. “With initiatives like Central Auctioning, Floriday, Floriway and channel-independent logistics, I notice that good steps are being taken by Royal FloraHolland. That's positive, but also a necessary development when you notice the speed in which the sector is changing. I think the big advantage of Floriday is that grower and exporter are better matched. It allows us to grow our network bigger and bigger. We have one beautiful platform where you can see everything. And it's constantly evolving – I only see advantages. It is therefore very unfortunate that there are still exporters who are holding it back for themselves – and therefore also for us as growers. We need to think more as a sector, as a supply chain. That happens too little now, I think – unfortunately. So I hope exporters will soon go along with the digitisation of the sector. Because we have to do it together.”
Esperit Plants grows all kinds of atmospheric green plants, such as Ficus, Alocasia, Musa and Monstera. The biggest label is Esperit Ficuss, the proprietary brand name for the dozens of ficus species grown by Esperit Plants.
“This year, we are doing about three quarters of our sales through direct channels and a quarter via clock sales,” Robbert says. “Between April and September, we do a larger share through clock sales. We try to do more direct sales because that's where we get the highest turnover. But that is sometimes difficult since there is not always the same demand from direct trade - or because we don't know how to find all buyers. The clock has a wider audience.”
Pricing more even
“From 14 March this year, we gradually started auctioning an increasing proportion of our items via the new central clock for green plants,” the ’s-Gravenzande-based grower explains. “Now only the ficus are not yet switched to Central Auctioning, that will happen as of 21 November. At Central Auctioning I mainly notice that prices are a bit closer together. For ficus plants price differences can be as high as 50 cents, but for the plants that have already been transferred to Central Auctioning the difference is a lot smaller. I don't really notice that I get a bigger price advantage – there are fewer outliers. It varies from day to day, of course, but with Central Auctioning there is more balance between the clock sales of Naaldwijk and Aalsmeer – I have less insight into the Rijnsburg sales. Because pricing is more even, as a grower you can respond more easily to the exporter's needs. All in all, I have no worries about this development and that is positive – it now goes along with the daily business.”
Necessary development
It is mainly the combination of current developments that Robbert appreciates. “With initiatives like Central Auctioning, Floriday, Floriway and channel-independent logistics, I notice that good steps are being taken by Royal FloraHolland. That's positive, but also a necessary development when you notice the speed in which the sector is changing. I think the big advantage of Floriday is that grower and exporter are better matched. It allows us to grow our network bigger and bigger. We have one beautiful platform where you can see everything. And it's constantly evolving – I only see advantages. It is therefore very unfortunate that there are still exporters who are holding it back for themselves – and therefore also for us as growers. We need to think more as a sector, as a supply chain. That happens too little now, I think – unfortunately. So I hope exporters will soon go along with the digitisation of the sector. Because we have to do it together.”
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