News

Peak moments in the horticulture industry call for alertness in all departments within Argos

21 december 2023

The outbreak of COVID-19 completely paralysed the flower trade almost two years ago. News reports of an overcrowded auction site with flowers went around the world. Now, two years later, there is little evidence of this 'paralysation', the sector is running at full capacity and everyone is getting ready for a number of important peak moments in the sector. These peak moments are extremely important for our clients in the horticulture sector and require resilience from various parts of the supply chain. These moments are also extremely important for us as a supplier of packaging and protective materials and allow us to show what we are good at. Packaging products in a smart way and ensuring that the packaging has added value. In the first quarter of 2022, the horticulture sector will have to deal with Valentine's Day and International Women's Day, among other things. A peak moment with a longer duration is the tulip season, which runs from January to the end of May and requires extra attention. At such important peak moments, planning, stock and transport are extremely important and these factors must be coordinated seamlessly.

Recently, the combination of the scarcity of raw materials and the persistent demand has resulted in a shortage. This has regularly put the availability of our products and our own production under pressure and has meant that our purchasing department, for instance, has faced various challenges to maintain stock levels and ensure that we can continue to supply our customers as agreed. Our stock is the beating heart of Argos and it is extremely important to keep a constant eye on this. No stock, no business.br>


For account manager Lars Zwinkels and his colleagues from the horticulture department, the first quarter is therefore a very important period. "In this period with a number of important peak moments such as Valentine's Day, International Women's Day and the tulip season, our entire team is on high alert. Everything must run smoothly and our customers must be completely unburdened. We like to keep our service level at the level that our customers have come to expect from Argos, but this sometimes demands the utmost from our colleagues. From the sales department to the logistics centre, everyone is alert and ensures that everything goes according to plan. Good communication between the various departments ensures that everyone knows what is going on and that we can respond effectively to any ad hoc actions that occur at the customer or external parties. As an account manager, it is therefore extremely important to stay in constant contact with all parties and to know what is going on."

By further optimising our purchasing process, we ensure more control over the availability of our products, stock management and we have gained more insight into the incoming and outgoing goods. In addition, structure in all departments, communication with the customer and good planning in our logistics centre ensure optimal cooperation. This optimisation improves our order process and ensures that our customers do not miss out at important moments like this and are completely unburdened.



Quickly shifting gears and flexibility are essential in a world of fresh produce, which is what you can expect from Argos. Unburdening our customers at a high level, so that they can focus on their core business. We ensure that your flowers and/or plants are packaged in such a way that the products are optimally protected against possible damage and that they reach the next batch in optimal condition. Argos always has suitable packaging for your products. In addition, we not only supply the materials to package and transport your product, but we also offer a tailor-made solution.

Curious about the possibilities or do you want to know what we can do for you? For more information, please contact one of our colleagues in the horticulture department at sierteelt@argos.nu</ a> or 0174 - 638 414. We will be happy to provide you with appropriate advice.