Everyday 20 million flowers arrive here from all over the world.
The auction starts early morning.
Carts of flowers are presented to the buyers, one at a time, while they bid on them.
The flowers get bought and distributed almost immediately.
By late afternoon, all the flowers will have moved out and the warehouse prepared for the next round.
Crates of flowers waiting to be auctioned off at Aalsmeer Flower Auction.
Photo credit:CGP Grey
Flowers in Aalsmeer are sold using the infamous Dutch auction system.
The price is set high and a clock starts ticking down from 100.
As time falls, so does the price of the cart.
The first person to make a bid gets the cart.
The bidding process can be seen on the large screens inside the auction room.
Visitors are allowed but neither them nor buyers can get close to the flowers.
The closest one can get to the flowers are from two elevated walkways high above the busy warehouse.
The actual trading can be observed through soundproof windows high above two auction rooms.
Photo credit:Rick Payette/Flickr
Photo credit:faungg’s photos/Flickr
The auction room.
Photo credit:faungg’s photos/Flickr
An auction in progress.
Photo credit:bert knottenbeld/Flickr
Photo credit:bert knottenbeld/Flickr
Sources:European Traveller/Flower Experts/Investor Words
