Flowers, Markets & Money:

FLORAL INDUSTRY FORUM · APRIL 2026

What the US and European data really tell exporters right now

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Compiled from presentations by Kate Penn (SAF), Marco Groot (Hilverda De Boer / FM Group),

Bill Schafer (Schaffer Designs), Sahid Nahim (New Bloom Solutions),

Rodrigo Leiva (Sunshine Bouquet), Nicholas Chany (Rosaprima) & Victor Van Dijk (FM Group)

The global floriculture industry gathered this week for a forum that cut through the noise and delivered the numbers every marketer and exporter needs to plan with confidence. From retail sales trajectories in the United States to channel dynamics across ten European countries, the data presented by industry leaders paints a picture of a market that is growing — but demanding more sophistication from its suppliers.

Here are the key takeaways, by the numbers.

The global floriculture industry gathered this week for a forum that cut through the noise and delivered the numbers every marketer and exporter needs to plan with confidence. From retail sales trajectories in the United States to channel dynamics across ten European countries, the data presented by industry leaders paints a picture of a market that is growing — but demanding more sophistication from its suppliers.

Here are the key takeaways, by the numbers.

THE U.S. MARKET: KATE PENN · SOCIETY OF AMERICAN FLORISTS

Kate Penn, CEO of the Society of American Florists (SAF)

$71.0B Total US floral spending 2024

+83% Growth since 2014 ($38.7B)

+2.1% YoY growth 2023→2024

Total consumer spending on floral products in the U.S. reached $71.0 billion in 2024, up from $38.7 billion in 2014 — nearly doubling over a decade. The pandemic years of 2020 and 2021 delivered back-to-back 13% spikes, and the market has maintained positive momentum since, reaching $68.9 billion in 2023 before hitting the $71 billion mark. Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis.

RETAIL FLORIST SALES

The retail florist channel specifically hit $8.197 billion in 2024 (+0.6%), with projections reaching $8.743 billion by 2028 (+1.5%). The trajectory is steady and upward — not explosive, but consistent. Sales recovered sharply from the 2020 Covid dip (-5.8%) with +4.3% in 2021 and +4.0% in 2022. Source: US Department of Commerce / Sundale Research.

NUMBER OF RETAIL FLOWER SHOPS

Despite growing sales, the number of retail flower shops in the U.S. is consolidating. After a slight dip in 2024 (-0.8%) and 2025 (-0.2%), a modest rebound is projected for 2026 (+1.0%) and 2027 (+0.6%), before declining again in 2028 (-1.2%). The current count hovers around 12,000 shops. The headline: fewer stores, but the ones that survive are selling more. Source: US Census Bureau / Sundale Research.

"Fewer florists, but higher sales per store. The U.S. retail channel is consolidating around quality operators."

THE EUROPEAN MARKET

Marco Groot's presentation on the Top 10 European Channel Split revealed the structural differences between markets that exporters need to understand when targeting the continent.

Europe remains a critical destination for Quito's flower exports, absorbing between 300 and 500 million stems annually.

Germany leads consumption at 75–150 million stems per year, followed by the UK (45–100M), France (30–75M), Italy and Spain (15–50M each), the Netherlands itself (15–25M), and the remaining EU bloc accounting for an additional 30–75 million stems.

When measured in market value, the European flower industry tells an equally compelling story. Germany tops the rankings at $3.2 billion, making it the largest flower market on the continent — driven by a highly retail-oriented purchasing model. The UK follows at $2.6B with strong client culture, and France at $2.1B with florist-led buying behavior. The Netherlands, despite its smaller population, commands $1.8B as a trade hub with significant domestic consumption. Italy ($1.6B), Spain ($1.3B), Belgium ($0.9B), Sweden ($0.8B), Switzerland ($0.85B), and Denmark ($0.75B) round out the top ten — each with distinct demand profiles ranging from premium consumption to re-export activity.

The three channels — Mass Market (supermarkets & e-commerce), Florists, and Wholesale/B2B — play out very differently by country:

Germany, Denmark, Sweden: Mass market dominates heavily. Supermarket and e-com channels tower over florists and wholesale.

Italy, Spain, France: Florist channel is significantly stronger — quality-driven consumers prefer specialized retail.

Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland: More balanced splits, with substantial wholesale/B2B activity reflecting their role as trading hubs.

The strategic implication for exporters: targeting Europe is not a single play. A mass-market Germany strategy (consistency, volume, certifications) is fundamentally different from a florist-driven Italy or Spain strategy (quality, variety, storytelling).

On production costs, the panel was direct: European growing is becoming economically unviable. Production is migrating to South America and Africa — and that is not slowing down.

Europe less flower shops. Mass market grows. In the US, florists are shrinking in number but the ones that remain are selling more.

WHAT BUYERS ACTUALLY WANT — AND WHAT THEY DON'T

The panel's most commercially valuable segment covered buyer decision-making — what moves contracts, what doesn't, and where exporters lose deals.

WHAT DRIVES PURCHASE DECISIONS

Predictability of availability. Consistency. Reliability. These three words came up repeatedly across all speakers. Buyers — whether mass market or specialty — are not primarily buying flowers. They are buying certainty. The supplier who can guarantee consistent supply, consistent quality, and honest communication wins the relationship.

For mass market buyers specifically, certifications matter at the entry level: Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade are table stakes. But the florist channel has largely moved on — florists are no longer checking certification boxes. What they care about is quality, uniqueness, and the story behind the product.

For premium and specialty segments anywhere, the human story — names, faces, farm practices — carries more weight than any label.

COMMUNICATION IS A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

One of the panel's strongest points: suppliers who communicate proactively during disruptions — crop issues, logistics delays, quality variations — retain clients. Suppliers who hide problems lose them. "The earlier you tell your client what is going on, the best possible reaction and solution you may have," was the consensus. Confidence and directness are not just soft skills; they are commercial differentiators.

Flowers are emotions. Sustainability is not about numbers — it's about the story, the names, the faces.

ECUADOR'S MOMENT — SECOND PANEL

Rodrigo Leiva  |  VP, Sunshine Bouquet

Nicholas Chany  |  Rosaprima

Victor Van Dijk  |  FM Group

Tariff Favorability

Ecuador's Structural Advantage

For the first time, Ecuador is positioned to hold more favorable tariff conditions than Colombia in the U.S. market. The window is open — execution determines the outcome.

The second panel brought the market data to ground level with a direct focus on Ecuador's competitive positioning. The mood was cautiously optimistic — grounded in specific structural advantages.

The panel identified hybrid development happening in Ecuador as a legitimate IP export — intellectual property embedded in new rose varieties is being created and commercialized from Ecuadorian farms. This diversification into specialty and unique varieties was highlighted as a high-value path: not necessarily the most productive varieties, but the most distinctive ones. Spray roses and garden-style spray roses were specifically called out as strong near-term investment categories.

On the European front, Western Europe is stable but recovering clients — not growing aggressively. Eastern Europe and Australia, however, are growth markets worth attention for Ecuadorian exporters.

On the U.S. consumer, the panel was precise: the relevant buyer is the affluent American consumer. Purchasing power at the top of the income distribution continues to grow, and those consumers are willing to pay for quality. Ecuador's roses — consistently cited for their unique stem length and bloom quality — are well-positioned for that segment.

Freight costs remain a pressure point. The panel's message: prices must increase to reflect rising logistics costs. Suppliers who delay this conversation do so at their own margin's expense.

On China: quality is improving, and it is a real competitor on the horizon. But Ecuador's unique quality profile — particularly in premium roses — is seen as a durable moat, not easily replicated.

ON TRENDS: THE FLORICULTURE REALITY CHECK

A frank moment in the forum came when the panel addressed the trend-chasing phenomenon in floriculture. The core message: floriculture cannot react to short-cycle trends.

Growing cycles are months long. By the time a trend is identified, acted upon, and harvested, the trend may have passed. Pantone does not forecast; it reports what it is already seeing. So, acting on a Pantone announcement as a production signal is, by definition, late. What you can do is react with marketing campaigns on what you have and what you can offer related to the pantone trend.

What floriculture can align with are macro trends — cultural, demographic, and lifestyle shifts that last five years or more. Quality and consistency are not trends. They are the permanent baseline expectation of a maturing, increasingly affluent consumer base.

The actionable insight for exporters: invest in quality, variety, and reliable supply infrastructure. That is the durable trend.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The floral industry is not in decline — it is evolving. Total spending is at record levels, retail florist revenues are growing, and the consumer appetite for quality florals is structurally intact. What is changing is the channel landscape: mass market is growing share in Europe, retail florists are consolidating in the U.S., and the premium segment is where the highest-value growth lives.

For exporters — particularly Ecuadorian producers — the data supports a clear strategic direction: quality over volume, specialty over commodity, relationships over transactions, and proactive communication over reactive damage control.

The market is there. The question is who shows up with the consistency to earn it.

Data sources: US Bureau of Economic Analysis · US Census Bureau · US Department of Commerce · Sundale Research · Society of American Florists · Hilverda De Boer / FM Group