Successful second quarter of 2020 at Veiling Rhein-Maas

23 July 2020

Veiling Rhein-Maas looks back on a satisfactory second quarter 2020 and achieved a significant increase compared to the previous year, mainly due to the very good price level for both cut flowers and potted plants. Overall, Veiling Rhein-Maas achieved product sales in the first half of 2020 that were around 10% higher than in the first half of 2019.


Developments in the second quarter
At the end of March, the market situation was still uncertain as several customers were not able to open their shops due to national or regional restrictions. Furthermore, there was a temporary lack of airfreight capacity at imported cut flowers, which affected the quantities available. The market recovered in small steps from calendar week 14 onwards, enabling Veiling Rhein-Maas to start the second quarter of 2020 with a positive Easter business. Business around Mother's Day was also successful for all market channels and followed on from the good Easter business. The optimal weather conditions certainly contributed to this positive development. Fortunately, Veiling Rhein-Maas recorded a clearly positive customer development and was able to acquire more new customers than in the same period of the previous year.

Growth in digital market channels
In the context of developments relating to the Coronavirus, the capacity at Remote Buying was expanded by 25% shortly before the start of the second quarter in order to ensure sufficient capacity, especially during the Easter week. Many customers made use of this option and also of the digital market channels Clock pre sales and Web shop were highly demanded. As part of the implemented safety measures, fewer seats were available in the auction room. Nonetheless, Veiling Rhein-Maas was able to provide a seat for all customers who wanted to make their purchases on site in Straelen-Herongen at all times. This was only possible thanks to the many customers who made their purchases digitally during this period! In addition to the digital market channels, Veiling Rhein-Maas also invests in the auction room, the commercial heart of the auction. On Monday 22 June 2020, the modernisation of the auction clock front was started. By now, the first four auction clocks have already been converted with LED technology and put into operation. The modernisation of the other four clocks will start from Monday, 3 August 2020, so that the whole process can be completed at the beginning of September 2020. The progress of the modernisation of the auction clock front can be viewed in this photo album on the website of Veiling Rhein-Maas.

Measures regarding the Coronavirus
Veiling Rhein-Maas takes care about the safety and health of all customers, suppliers and employees. For this reason, various hygiene and safety measures were implemented at the marketplace in Straelen-Herongen in the first and second quarter of 2020 in terms of the Corona crisis. In addition, Veiling Rhein-Maas has taken further measures which aim at stabilising the market and thus support the customers and suppliers of the auction in these challenging times.

Many thanks
Veiling Rhein-Maas would like to thank all customers and suppliers for their trust and cooperation in the first half of 2020, which was a challenging time for many partners of the market place.