Royal FloraHolland
A Dutch grower-owned cooperative and global marketplace for flowers and plants.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Royal FloraHolland is a Dutch cooperative that organizes the auctioning, trading, handling and distribution of cut flowers, potted plants and garden plants. It is one of the world’s largest flower-auction organizations and operates as a major connection point between growers and professional buyers, including wholesalers, exporters, retailers and florists. The organization is headquartered in Aalsmeer and has additional locations in Naaldwijk, Rijnsburg and Eelde. Its export-oriented auction centers are located at Aalsmeer, Naaldwijk and Rijnsburg, while Eelde primarily serves the domestic Dutch market. The organization’s present form dates from the 2007 merger of FloraHolland and Aalsmeer Flower Auction. Its institutional roots are considerably older. In Aalsmeer, growers created competing auction organizations in 1911 and 1912 in response to the increasing influence of brokers. Those organizations later merged in 1968 to form the Aalsmeer Flower Auction, which expanded repeatedly as Dutch flower production and exports grew. Other predecessor auctions developed in Westland, Rijnsburg, northern Netherlands and the Venlo area. These local cooperatives gradually became part of the broader FloraHolland network through mergers, transfers and integrations. Royal FloraHolland’s core marketplace mechanism is the traditional auction clock, in which products are offered to buyers in descending-price auctions. Alongside clock auctioning, the organization provides brokerage and trading services focused on day trade and futures, as well as logistical, handling and distribution services. Its facilities are designed to consolidate products from numerous growers and make them available to buyers at scale. The Aalsmeer complex is especially notable for its enormous floor area and is commonly described as one of the largest commercial buildings in the world. The cooperative model gives growers an ownership and membership role rather than treating the organization solely as an external logistics or auction operator. Its activities cover both Dutch and internationally sourced flowers and plants. In 2006, the Aalsmeer organization opened membership to growers located outside the European Union, extending its cooperative base beyond the Netherlands and the European Union. Royal FloraHolland was severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The collapse in demand from florists, events, hospitality and other channels caused sales to fall by more than 70 percent during the crisis. Large quantities of unsold flowers, including tulips, had to be destroyed. In the same year, the organization acquired three flower-and-plant transport businesses—De Winter, Van Marrewijk, also known as Wematrans, and Van Zaal—and placed them in a new independent company called Floriway. This move strengthened its control over parts of the transport chain during a period of exceptional market disruption. Today, Royal FloraHolland remains an active cooperative marketplace and logistics hub for the international ornamental-horticulture sector. Its role combines auction infrastructure, digital and physical trading, grower services, buyer access and supply-chain coordination. The organization is best understood not as a consumer flower brand but as business-to-business market infrastructure supporting the movement of flowers and plants from growers to professional buyers.
History
Royal FloraHolland’s history is rooted in the cooperative flower-auction movement that developed in the Netherlands during the early twentieth century. Growers formed auctions to improve their bargaining position and reduce dependence on brokers. In Aalsmeer, the Bloemenlust auction was established in late December 1911, followed by the Central Aalsmeer Auction in January 1912. Both organizations expanded as the Dutch flower trade grew. The Central Aalsmeer Auction reached annual sales of one million guilders in 1918, illustrating the early commercial importance of organized auctioning. The two Aalsmeer auctions merged on 6 March 1968 to form the Aalsmeer Flower Auction, known in Dutch as Verenigde Bloemenveiling Aalsmeer. The organization moved into a new complex at Legmeerdijk in 1972 and continued expanding its premises as export volumes and customer requirements increased. In 1973, it permitted suppliers to market products through an agency. In 2006, it became the first flower auction to open membership to companies based outside the European Union, extending its cooperative model to international growers. The Westland region developed its own auction tradition. The Central Westland Cut Association was founded in 1923, initially operating from rented premises in Poeldijk. It became a cooperative in 1931 and established itself at Dijkweg in Honselersdijk, near Naaldwijk. The organization later adopted the name C.C.W.S. Flower in the Westland municipality. Its location remains associated with the Naaldwijk branch of Royal FloraHolland. Rijnsburg’s auction was established in 1914 by seventeen growers of Flower Flora. It initially operated in a local pub before moving into a dedicated auction building in 1917. Bulb flowers, particularly tulips and lilies, were important from the beginning. A larger complex outside Katwijk, near the municipal boundary with Oegstgeest, opened in 1980. Rijnsburg subsequently became particularly important for bulbous flowers within the broader network. Other predecessor organizations expanded the network geographically. In the Rotterdam area, the Rotterdamsche Vegetable Auction was founded in 1928 and later developed flower-auction operations. Its auction facility moved to Bleiswijk in 1982. Flower auctioning at Bleiswijk was eventually closed in 2014 and transferred to Naaldwijk, while the site continued to function as a logistics facility. In the north, the first flowers were auctioned in Groningen in 1927 under the name Flower’s North. That operation moved to Eelde in 1978, where it became the network’s domestic-market auction center. In the Venlo region, the Cooperative Auction-Vereeniging was established in Blerick in 1915 for fruit and vegetables. Flowers were introduced in 1962, initially being sold on a vegetable auction clock. A separate flower hall was later built at Grubbenvorst. After a fire destroyed the building in 1969, operations continued temporarily in another auction hall before a replacement auction and distribution complex was completed. The floral activities of Auction ZON joined FloraHolland on 1 July 2002. The modern Royal FloraHolland organization was created in 2007 through the merger of FloraHolland and Aalsmeer Flower Auction. The merger brought major regional auction traditions into one cooperative structure. Its Aalsmeer site became the organization’s headquarters and a central international marketplace. The complex measures approximately 740 by 700 metres and is regarded as one of Europe’s largest buildings by floor area. The COVID-19 pandemic produced the most severe disruption described in the available reference material. In 2020, the closure of many retail, hospitality, event and florist channels caused demand to collapse. More than 400 million flowers were reportedly destroyed in March alone, including approximately 160 million tulips. The organization also responded by acquiring three transport companies and combining them in Floriway, an independent logistics company. Royal FloraHolland continues to operate as a cooperative marketplace linking growers with professional buyers through auction, brokerage, handling and distribution services.
- 2020
Pandemic disruption and Floriway formation
[1]The COVID-19 shock caused a dramatic sales decline, while three acquired transport businesses were combined in Floriway.
- 2014
Bleiswijk flower auction operations transferred
[1]Flower-auction operations at Bleiswijk were moved to Naaldwijk, while the Bleiswijk site continued as a logistics center.
- 2007
FloraHolland and Aalsmeer Flower Auction merge
[1]The merger created the modern Royal FloraHolland cooperative.
- 2006
International membership introduced
[1]The Aalsmeer auction opened membership to growers based outside the European Union.
- 2002
Venlo floral activities join FloraHolland
[1]The floral division of Auction ZON joined FloraHolland, expanding the cooperative’s regional network.
- 1980
Rijnsburg complex opens
[1]A new Rijnsburg auction complex opened near Katwijk and Oegstgeest.
- 1978
Northern auction moves to Eelde
[1]The northern Netherlands flower auction moved from Groningen to Eelde, where it later focused on the domestic market.
- 1972
New Aalsmeer complex opens
[1]A new auction complex at Legmeerdijk entered service, enabling further growth in auction and distribution capacity.
- 1968
Aalsmeer auctions merge
[1]Bloemenlust and the Central Aalsmeer Auction merged to form the Aalsmeer Flower Auction.
- 1923
Central Westland Cut Association founded
[1]The predecessor of the Naaldwijk operation was founded in the Westland region.
Products and positioning
A grower-owned, large-scale European marketplace and supply-chain hub for professional flower and plant trade.
Flowers
Cut flowers
Royal FloraHolland auctions and trades cut flowers supplied by cooperative members and other growers. The category includes flowers sold for wholesale distribution, retail, florist and export channels. Products are consolidated, graded, presented through auction and trading systems, and moved through the organization’s handling and logistics infrastructure.
Plants · 1976
Potted plants
Potted plants are a major product category handled through the cooperative’s auction and marketplace operations. They are supplied to professional buyers and distributed through the Dutch and international ornamental-plant trade. The Naaldwijk operation historically developed dedicated auction capacity for potted plants.
Plants
Garden plants
Garden plants form part of Royal FloraHolland’s broader ornamental-horticulture assortment. The organization provides a marketplace and supply-chain connection rather than selling primarily to consumers under a conventional packaged-goods brand.
Flowers · 1914
Bulb flowers
Bulb flowers, especially tulips and lilies, have been closely associated with the Rijnsburg auction since its early history. They remain part of the flower categories traded through Royal FloraHolland’s regional marketplace network.
Marketplace services
Auction and brokerage services
The cooperative provides auction-clock sales, brokerage, day trading and futures-oriented services. These offerings give professional buyers multiple ways to source flowers and plants, while helping growers reach domestic and international markets.
Brand decisions
2020
Creation of FloriwayStrategyBackground
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted flower demand and placed exceptional pressure on the sector’s transport and distribution systems.
Action taken
Royal FloraHolland acquired De Winter, Van Marrewijk (Wematrans) and Van Zaal and combined them in a new independent transport company called Floriway.
Aftermath
The move consolidated important flower-and-plant transport capabilities within a separate logistics company.
2007
Merger of FloraHolland and Aalsmeer Flower AuctionM&ABackground
Two major Dutch flower-auction organizations developed overlapping regional and international roles within a rapidly expanding ornamental-horticulture trade.
Action taken
FloraHolland and Aalsmeer Flower Auction merged to create the modern Royal FloraHolland cooperative.
Aftermath
The merger combined major auction and logistics operations and established Aalsmeer as the organization’s headquarters.
Recent events
- 2020
COVID-19 crisis causes severe collapse in flower-auction sales[1]
Other
Demand for flowers fell sharply during the pandemic, causing Royal FloraHolland’s sales to decline by more than 70 percent. In March 2020, hundreds of millions of flowers reportedly had to be destroyed, including a substantial quantity of tulips.
- 2020
Royal FloraHolland consolidates flower transport operations in Floriway[1]
M&A
Royal FloraHolland took over De Winter, Van Marrewijk (Wematrans) and Van Zaal and combined the transport activities in a new independent company named Floriway.
Sources2 sources
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