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Sub-zero temperatures and heavy snowfall in some regions had significantly hampered sales during those months. Towards the end of the quarter, challenges surrounding imported goods increased due to the war in the Gulf region. So far, however, flight cancellations and price rises have not led to any major changes. “The strong performance in March, with good weather, demonstrated the potential of sales via Veiling Rhein-Maas. Unfortunately, this potential did not materialise further in April around Easter due to the significantly lower temperatures at that time. Nevertheless, we are cautiously optimistic about the important coming months of the season and look forward to consistently higher temperatures and the start of the gardening season,” say Günther Esser and Cees Hoekstra, Managing Directors of Veiling Rhein-Maas.
Marketing situation
In January and February, which were characterised by cold winter weather, marketing did not really get into full swing. An exception to this was Valentine’s week in February, with the usual focus on cut flowers. Supply during this week was good in terms of both range and volume, and higher average prices were achieved compared to the previous year. For the first quarter of 2026 as a whole, March—as the first true spring month—brought a significant improvement in key metrics such as available volumes.
The bulk of the volume growth in March came from tulips and roses, but other products, such as carnations, also saw a significant increase. As a result, the volumes of cut flowers delivered in the first quarter were higher than in the previous year. The value of goods was also higher than in the first quarter of last year.
The spring-like weather in March also had a positive impact on key figures for potted plant auctions. Bedding plants, in particular, were in high demand in March, and the marketing of summer bloomers began early. Perennials and flowering houseplants also sold well. After the first quarter, the value of goods and the number of units were only slightly below the previous year’s figures. The average price remained at the level of the same quarter last year.
Further Development of the Company
In 2026 and beyond, the focus will remain on the continuous development of Veiling Rhein-Maas, including the various marketing channels and the entire infrastructure at the Straelen-Herongen site.
Approaches for further optimizations in areas such as purchasing channels, services, product offerings, and communication can also be derived from the results of a customer survey conducted in the fall of 2025. The results of this survey already indicate a high overall level of satisfaction with Veiling Rhein-Maas. Regardless of the results of the customer survey, the development of new services for the Veiling Rhein-Maas Service Center will be a key focus area for 2026.
Customer and Supplier Day 2026
As the first highlight of 2026, Veiling Rhein-Maas’s Customer and Supplier Day took place on January 13. The eagerly anticipated highlight of the event in the packed auction hall in Herongen was the presentation of the “Customer and Supplier of the Year 2026” awards. This time, the competition focused on the topic of digitalization. ZVG President Eva Kähler-Theuerkauf also addressed this in her opening remarks.
Trade Show Appearances
In the first quarter of 2026, Veiling Rhein-Maas once again took advantage of several industry trade shows to engage in intensive discussions with many interested existing and potential customers and suppliers at the start of the year. Numerous visitors took the opportunity to speak personally with auction staff at the International Plant Fair (IPM) in Essen, the two trade fairs HortiContact (Gorinchem, NL) and Vaktentoonstelling (Zwaagdijk, NL), as well as the Flora Spring Expo (Royal Flora Holland, Aalsmeer).
