A Tayside flower wholesaler has distributed more than 200,000 red roses to florists in time for Valentine’s day.
J van Vliet Zwetsloot operates a large flower distribution centre in Kinrossie.
The Dutch company, which has 15 cash and carries in the UK, have ordered 40% more flowers than normal for the celebration.
Due to the increase in orders the wholesaler starts preparing months in advance to cope with the volume of floral requests.
General manager Scott Mckimmie explains how he and his staff prepare for one of their busiest days of the year.
“We start planning for Valentine’s Day from the first week after Christmas,” he said.
“It involves a lot of sleepless nights and worrying about how you’re going to get the product to the warehouse and then out to florists on time.
“It’s very hectic and we do triple the workload. It’s a 24-hour operation.”
Roses from across the world
The wholesaler supplies flowers to Tayside and Scottish customers from countries including Ecuador, Columbia and Kenya.
They offer roses, carnations and many more varieties.
Scott said: “Our roses come from Columbia and Ecuador.
“The reason the roses are from these places is because they are the best, the flowers are fresh and have large heads. They are perfect for Valentine’s Day.”
At the moment the Perth branch has around nine staff working for them during this hectic time.
Scott admits the last few years have not always been a bed of roses
“After Brexit, the cost of the flowers increased,” he adds.
“There is now an additional 10% tax and this has made things more difficult for us.
“We have absorbed the prices and had to reroute everything by flying the roses into the UK directly to avoid the import tax from Europe.”
Preparations for Mother’s Day
It is a busy time for the business, as they deliver around 200,000 stems of red roses across Scotland.
Scott added: “The florist being happy with the product is always satisfying because you’ve brought that from the other side of the world.
“And there is a good buzz around Valentine’s Day, seeing people happy with the end result makes the sleepless nights worth it.
Although there is not much time to rest for J.Van Vliet as Mother’s Day is coming up.
This year’s falls around the same date as International Women’s Day, Scott said.
“This year going to be big. Mother’s Day and International Women’s Day preparation started three weeks ago, on top of Valentine’s Day.
“The demand for flowers all through Eastern Europe and the UK is huge and we are extremely busy at the moment.
“It’s hectic for wholesalers right now,”
Supporting your local florist
Scott wants his consumers to continue supporting nearby florists, saying they don’t “overcharge”.
“All I would say is for people to support their local shops and florists or they are going to lose them.
“At the end of the day, people will need them for weddings, and funerals. They are an important part of society. If you don’t support them, we’ll lose them.”
