Holland Blumen Mark

Holland Blumen Mark (originally Holland Blumenmarkt) was an Austrian flower discount chain founded in Vienna on 19 September 1974 by Kees van der Velden, a Dutch entrepreneur who had previously left the flower trading firm Blumex, which he had co-founded with his brother in the Netherlands. The first two shops opened on Gudrunstraße and at Praterstern. By combining self-service retailing with direct imports, van der Velden was able to undercut the high flower prices of the time, a strategy that brought him into conflict with the Austrian Chamber of Commerce and created difficulties in obtaining a trade licence, a work permit and with customs authorities. A consumer association lawsuit (VKI) in 1993 forced the company to change its name: because using the designation "Markt" was deemed misleading, the final "t" was simply dropped, so that shop signs could be altered with minimal effort and the change went largely unnoticed by customers. The old name "Holland Blumenmarkt" remains in everyday use. As the chain expanded, its headquarters moved to Wiener Neustadt, then to Hagenbrunn in 1982, and from early 2012 to Gerasdorf bei Wien. From 1998 the company systematically converted disused petrol stations into new branches. In 2008 the company, then with 128 branches, was taken over by the restructuring firm Repac, which closed eight underperforming stores, leaving 104 branches in Austria. From May 2011 the first franchise branch opened, and by the end of 2012 nine more franchise outlets had been added; at the beginning of 2013 there were twelve franchise branches and 87 company-owned stores. With 104 branches, the company was Austria's largest flower retailer. In early 2014 Anton Stumpf and a group of investors acquired the company from the Repac Group. In October 2014 an insolvency filing became public, which the company attributed in a press release to "unplanned legacy liabilities that led to high financial burdens." In November 2014 Robert Bigl, a former sales manager and now owner of Blumen B&B, took over 51 branches and continued to operate them under the Holland Blumen Mark name until a rebranding. Individual branches were sold, while 28 were closed. The chain is now defunct.

Holland Blumen Mark was founded on 19 September 1974 in Vienna by Kees van der Velden, who had shortly before left Blumex, a flower trading company he had established with his brother in the Netherlands. The first two stores were located on Gudrunstraße and at Praterstern. Van der Velden's business model combined self-service with direct imports, allowing him to undercut the high flower prices of the era. This approach brought him into conflict with the Chamber of Commerce and led to difficulties in obtaining a trade licence and a work permit, as well as problems with customs authorities. In 1993 a lawsuit by the VKI (Verein für Konsumenteninformation) forced a change of company name: because the use of "Markt" was deemed misleading, the final "t" was dropped, enabling shop signs to be changed with little effort and without most customers noticing. The old name "Holland Blumenmarkt" remains in common usage. As more branches were opened, the headquarters moved to Wiener Neustadt, then to Hagenbrunn in 1982, and from the beginning of 2012 to Gerasdorf bei Wien. From 1998 the company specifically converted disused petrol stations into new branches. In 2008 the company, then with 128 branches, was acquired by the restructuring company Repac, which closed eight low-revenue branches. This left 104 branches in Austria, and from May 2011 the first franchise branch opened. By the end of 2012 the number of franchise branches had increased by a further nine. At the beginning of 2013 there were twelve franchise branches and 87 company-owned branches. With 104 branches, the company was Austria's largest flower retailer. In early 2014 Anton Stumpf, together with a group of investors, took over the company from the Repac Group. In October 2014 the insolvency filing became known, which the company attributed in a press release to "unplanned legacy liabilities that led to high financial burdens." In November 2014 Robert Bigl, the former sales manager and now owner of Blumen B&B, took over 51 branches and continued to operate them under the name Holland Blumen Mark until a rebranding. Individual branches were sold, while 28 branches were closed. The chain is now defunct.

• Founded in Vienna by Kees van der Velden; first two stores on Gudrunstraße and Praterstern.

• Headquarters moved to Hagenbrunn.

• VKI lawsuit forces name change from Holland Blumenmarkt to Holland Blumen Mark.

• Company begins converting disused petrol stations into new branches.

• Taken over by Repac Group with 128 branches; eight low-revenue branches closed, leaving 104.

• First franchise branch opens.

• Headquarters moves to Gerasdorf bei Wien.

• Nine additional franchise branches added.

• Twelve franchise branches and 87 company-owned branches in operation.

• Anton Stumpf and investors acquire the company from Repac Group.

• Insolvency filing announced.

• Robert Bigl takes over 51 branches; 28 branches closed, others sold.

Discount flower retailer offering self-service and direct imports to undercut traditional florist prices.

• Cut flowers

• Potted plants

• Floral arrangements

• Bouquets

1. 1Holland Blumen Mark – Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Holland Blumen Mark – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org