Instead of its usual Autumn Fair, GROEN-Direkt organised an attractive Autumn Showroom on 24, 25 and 26 August: a single-sample presentation that conformed to all the COVID-19 guidelines and was accessible by appointment only.
Though of course a lot quieter than in previous years, with fewer visitors from within and outside the Netherlands and various necessary adjustments, GROEN-Direkt’s event was in this form also the benchmark for the sale of garden plants.
All in all, the presentation attracted hundreds of discerning buyers from the Netherlands and other countries. The lower fair turnover was largely compensated by online sales via GROEN-Direkt’s webshop. The total sales figure was lower than that of the previous (top) year, but considering the current situation, GROEN-Direkt is very satisfied with its result. Indeed, the latest buzzword since the Autumn Showroom has been “Code Green”: there is still a steady demand for garden plants, in spite of COVID-19.
Different from usual
GROEN-Direkt’s adjusted version of its Autumn Fair featured small numbers of plants per batch instead of the usual layers of sample batches. The greatest difference this year was the absence of exhibitors. But this did mean that there was room for 30% more sample batches than in the past, resulting in a presentation of an impressive total of 5,500 samples. So all in all the Autumn Showroom offered visitors an ideal opportunity to physically see, feel and smell novelties, sales concepts and the entire range of Christmas trees.
COVID-proof
The Autumn Showroom single-sample presentation conformed to all the COVID-19 guidelines. All visits were scheduled in time slots, by appointment only. The spacious layout and one-way walking routes enabled visitors to keep the required social distance. There were PVC partition walls at the information desks and the catering facilities were likewise entirely COVID-proof. All visitors conformed to the guidelines and there were no incidents. The Dutch law enforcers’ checks for compliance with the measures also went well.
Most popular novelty
Ten novelties of autumn 2020 were presented at the Novelties Plaza. The sales figures show that ‘Vaccinium BerryBux’ is the most popular novelty. This new ‘BerryBux’, introduced by Leybaert, is in almost every respect comparable with ordinary box, except for one distinct difference. As its name implies, this shrub produces berries, which are blue and edible.
Webshop
GROEN-Direkt’s webshop proved very popular during the Autumn Showroom. It was visited by garden plant buyers and traders from within and outside the Netherlands more often than ever before. At the webshop, customers can always view and order from clear surveys of GROEN-Direkt’s entire range of products. The range is updated every week and all the products are accompanied by photos representing each sample’s quality. The photos are taken by GROEN-Direkt itself.
Weekly ranges
GROEN-Direkt is going to continue to organise weekly single-sample presentations. From 15 September until mid-November visitors may view the latest ranges of products physically by appointment only. Please go to www.groen-direkt.nl/1-stuks-monsterpresentatie to schedule a visit.
More information
For more information on GROEN-Direkt, its sample fairs and webshop, go to www.groen-direkt.nl, @groendirekt (Twitter), LinkedIn company page or call +31 (0)172 21 15 76.