Number of florists in the Netherlands declines sharply over six years
The number of flower shops in the Netherlands has declined significantly over the past six years, dropping from nearly 4,400 in 2019 to 3,880 at the start of this year, according to figures from the Kamer van Koophandel (KVK).
Despite the challenges, Valentine's Day remains a critical sales event. While the holiday reportedly provides a boost for florists, sales this year are down 8 percent compared to 2024.
Nearly every province has seen a decrease in florists, with the sharpest decline in Flevoland, where the number of shops fell by 20 percent from 70 in 2019 to 56 this year. Zeeland is the only province where the number of florists has slightly increased in recent years, though it has declined again in the past two years.
Marco Maasse, director of the Vereniging Bloemist Winkeliers (VBW), said the drop is largely due to shop owners retiring. “Continuing a flower shop is a challenge,” he said. “Sometimes an enthusiastic employee takes over, but more often another florist buys the store.”
The decline in local florists has pushed online flower delivery platforms to adjust their strategies. Edwin van Arkel, director of Topbloemen.nl, said his company now handles more than half of its deliveries from its own locations rather than relying on local florists. “We simply couldn’t guarantee nationwide coverage anymore with local florists who meet our quality standards,” he said.
Van Arkel added that florists are struggling with rising costs and higher wages, making it difficult to pass those expenses on to customers.
Regarding the 8 percent drop in Valentine's Day sales this year, Van Arkel said “ that is mainly because Valentine’s Day falls on a Friday this year. On weekends, couples tend to see each other in person, so there’s less reason to send flowers.”
At Topbloemen.nl, high-end red roses are selling for 4.50 euros per stem—1 euro more than usual—due to strong demand and limited supply.
Fleurop, another major flower delivery service, is experiencing a surge in orders. “We’re incredibly busy right now,” said Christian Quint, who oversees the product offerings on Fleurop’s website. He noted that demand is higher than last year.
