Going Once, Going Twice

It’s quite an early rise, but the flower auction in Aalsmeer is certainly worth it. Discover what happens on the world’s biggest flower auction, where a huge number of cut flowers and indoor and outdoor plants are sold daily.

“Via a special gallery, you walk through the large auction complex and see how tradesmen buy flowers and plants on the various clocks.”

You walk through the auction complex via a gallery, where the floor is brimming with the tradesmen who’ve come to purchase flowers. At the end of the bridge, you’ll get to the place where it all happens, the auction rooms, with the auction clocks. Different flowers are sold on each clock, from roses to chrysanthemums. Auctioning the flower occurs based on ‘reverse auctions’: the price on the clock starts high and decreases. The customer who first presses the button, purchases the flowers and plants. An impressive morning guaranteed!

Hey, did you know?

Flowers are auctioned in a so-called afmijnzaal (auction room). This word arose because customers called out ‘mijn’ (mine) when they wanted to buy a product.