Van Den Bos is a Dutch supplier of lilies bulbs, freesia bulbs, and calla bulbs. They export to 60 different countries all over the world and Asia is becoming an increasingly important continent for them. According to Bart, Asia is flower minded. "People love flowers and especially the lily. Together with the rose and chrysanthemum, the lily is in the top 3 of the most important flowers in Asia and is still increasing in popularity, unlike the rose and chrysanthemum", explains Bart.
At the moment, doing business in Asia is a hot item. In contrast to the European economy, the Asian economy is growing. According to Bart, China and Vietnam are the most important and most mature markets. Malaysia and Indonesia are markets that are still developing and growing. In these countries, the middle class is expanding and more people are interested in exclusive flowers for special occasions like Chinese New Year and weddings.
According to Bart, the market for cut flowers is quite stable. The market for potted plants however, is increasing in popularity. “Potted plants are new in Asia; they are exclusive and can now also be cultivated in these countries. As people are getting more money to spend, companies are too. Therefore, increasingly more growers are expanding and modernizing their greenhouses and facilities. This enables them to grow intensively and consequently producing more expensive flowers, like potted plants.”
In the future Van Den Bos would like to grow slowly in the smaller Asian countries. "Vietnam and China are already mature markets and I am not eager to grow there. I am a pioneer and I would like to discover new markets in Asia", says Bart. We see that countries like Indonesia, Malaysia and Sri Lanka have a lot of potential; these markets are growing" he explains. It is however not easy to enter Asian markets quickly. "As Asians are long-term oriented, I underline the fact that I would like to grow slowly in these countries. In these countries, it is very important to establish a good relationship before transporting your entire stock", concludes Bart.
For more information
Van Den Bos Flowerbulbs
Bart Duijvesteijn
Email: bart.duijvesteijn@vandenbos.com
www.vandenbos.com