Fresh cut flower industry spurs consumption upgrading in China

Purchasing flowers became a common practice for many people to celebrate this year's Mother's Day.

According to data from e-commerce platform Hema Fresh, both online and offline flower sales saw a nearly tenfold increase on May 12, or more than 40 percent compared to the same period last year.

At the Dounan Flower Market in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, visitors flocked to purchase a diverse range of fresh-cut flowers, including roses, rosa chinensis, commonly known as the China rose, and sunflowers.

A woman takes selfies at the Dounan Flower Market in Kunming, southwest China’s Yunnan Province. (Photo provided by the interviewee)

"Nowadays, presenting flowers has become a way of expressing love," said Lang Yu, a merchant at the Dounan Flower Market.

According to Qian Chongjun, executive president of the Yunnan Dounan Flower Industry Group, the Dounan International Flowers Industrial Park facilitates an average daily trade of 40 million stems of fresh-cut flowers, covering 117 major categories and over 1,600 varieties.

"The consumption of fresh flowers is no longer limited to specific holidays or occasions," said Lyu Linglin, who is in charge of the fresh cut flower business of Hema Fresh.

A growing number of consumers are now buying flower bouquets for themselves during their leisure time after work or weekend shopping trips, thereby bringing a sense of happiness to their lives, said Lyu.

This year, several cities in China, including Chongqing, Xi'an, and in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces have seen flower sales increase by over 50 percent.

Intelligent sales terminals, such as unmanned vending machines and supermarkets, have emerged as new growth drivers for the fresh cut flower industry. Many people have also shifted from offline flower shopping to purchasing flowers through live-streaming platforms.

The surge in online fresh cut flower sales is closely related to the rapid development in the logistics industry and preservation technology, which guarantees the visual allure of the flowers.

Data from ZTO Express, a leading express delivery company in China, shows that on Mother's Day, more than 200 tonnes of fresh cut flowers were transported from Kunming to cities like Beijing and Shanghai.

Workers pack fresh cut flowers at Baiyi Yinong International Flower Port in Linxia city, Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Gansu Province. (Photo/Xinhua)

Deliveries to provincial capital cities were mostly accomplished within 24 hours. To preserve freshness, measures like reinforcing flowers, utilizing waterproof cotton, and employing preservation bags were implemented to ensure that the flowers arrived in excellent condition for the customers.

At a green and efficient flower production demonstration base in Jinning district of Kunming, roses planted on more than 400 mu (26.67 hectares) of land were on the verge of blooming, and farmers were busy picking them.

This base is jointly owned by Dunzi village and Xingwang village.

"The fresh cut roses of our base are distributed to more than 30 cities in China and some varieties are exported to overseas markets," said Zhu Ting, an official in Dunzi village.

The base currently employs 56 workers, each receiving a monthly basic salary of 4,000 yuan ($553).

The Baiyi Yinong International Flower Port in Linxia city, Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Gansu Province has created employment opportunities for more than 500 local residents.

Su Tingting, a staff member of the Baiyi Yinong International Flower Port, said that she receives a monthly salary of approximately 4,000 yuan, adding that this job allows her to care for her elderly parents and children.

According to a development plan for the flower industry in China jointly issued by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China aims to modernize the flower industry by 2035 and achieve an annual flower sales revenue exceeding 700 billion yuan.