The Colours of Nature growers' association uses Royal FloraHolland's stock and order picking services to sell its products. It does so via Floriday in combination with the HortiHeat app. Edwin Erwich, responsible for sales at Colours of Nature: "This is the perfect combination for selling our products. This way, we can serve our customers within 90 minutes and ensure that we can perform at the level that we want to offer our customers."
Colours of Nature is a growers' association of seven growers with ten companies that together offer a wide assortment of mini gerberas. The company has a strong focus on the retail market. The needs of the retail sector exceed what an individual grower can provide, which is precisely why these growers have joined forces in Colours of Nature. By working together, listening to the customer and optimizing logistics, Colours of Nature is able to meet the needs of its customers. For example, the need to supply a large and wide range of products in combination with efficient logistics. In order to sell its full supply, Colours of Nature only uses direct sales. Since June 2019, it has done so using stock and order picking services from Royal FloraHolland in combination with Floriday and the Hortiheat app. This combination has become an important part of Colours of Nature's sales strategy.
Maintaining control with direct sales
Edwin is convinced that direct sales are the ideal way to sell its range of mini gerberas. Through direct sales, he retains control over the products and the supply. He determines the price of the products and is in charge of the offer for a certain period. In addition, direct sales allows him to offer speed and flexibility to his customers and thus provide them with the best possible service.
Logistic unburdening with Fulfilment services
With Royal FloraHolland’s Fulfilment services, the supply is delivered from a Royal FloraHolland stock location in Aalsmeer, Rijnsburg and/or Naaldwijk. Colours of Nature regularly delivers products to the stock locations for this purpose. Floriday records in real time what is in stock for all growers, at the various locations. When an order is received by telephone, this order is written off from this stock and Royal FloraHolland carries out the delivery. Edwin explains: "Thanks to this service, our growers no longer have to create a delivery form in their EAB package for the orders. This can simply be done at the end of the day by selecting all the sales orders in Floriday and settling them with one push of a button."
Through the use of stock and order picking services, Colours of Nature can very quickly deliver a fresh supply of flowers directly from the growers to its customers. Customers want to choose from a wide assortment of products that can be delivered quickly. By using this service, Colours of Nature can considerably reduce its logistical operations. Fulfilment also solves the problem of high transport costs for small orders. It is therefore a new way of organizing logistics. "For Colours of Nature, this is the ideal solution to serve our customers well. Since we have been using this service, customers have received their orders within 90 minutes and we have not had a single complaint about our delivery, which is of course great!" says Edwin.
HortiHeat order lists in combination with Fulfilment
All lots with supply at the Royal FloraHolland stock locations, thanks to Fulfilment services, are offered via the Floriday app HortiHeat. With HortiHeat’s assistance, Colours of Nature sends out order lists to its customers. Edwin: "With HortiHeat's order lists, we offer our customers convenience by allowing them to place an order anywhere and anytime, with just a few clicks. This can be done by computer or smartphone. I send the order list twice a day so customers can choose when they want their order delivered. For us, HortiHeat is an excellent and new way of working."
Actively working with direct sales
For Colours of Nature, the stock and order picking services and the HortiHeat app have become important components of the sales strategy. Edwin Erwich is convinced that direct sales are the way of working of the future. Telephone and email will of course continue to be used. Customers of Colours of Nature also needed a little time to get used to this new purchasing method. According to Edwin, it is therefore not possible to sell supply through HortiHeat without having to take action. According to him, it is essential to start working with direct sales.
Floriday