In 2018, the Agora group is known as the one-stop-shopping wholesaler for horticultural products. And with the new L.I.F.E. concept in Kortrijk, they are proving that they are completely ready to face the future. After all, since April 2017 their customers can make purchases 24/7. In addition to selling plants, flowers and decoration, Agora also constantly offer their customers inspiration.
‘Quality is a top priority for Agora. We only buy from suppliers who apply the same standard of high quality as we do. As a result, our customers can shop even more efficiently’ Jolien Van Turnhout, Marketing Manager
History
Agora was founded in 1981 by Marc and Gerd Van Turnhout-Nagels. Marc’s parents owned a flower farm and he would make the home deliveries with a lorry. First, it evolved into a wholesaler of fresh cut flowers, however the range systematically grew until it became a complete range of flowers, plants & decoration of what is now the Agora group. After Marc’s death in 1999, his widow Gerd continued the business, encouraged by the dedicated employees. At present, the group is led by the four children: Ellen, Katrin, Jolien and Nick. So Agora remains a family business with short lines and lots of get up and go, even if the company employs around 500 people in the meantime.
The Agora Group
The Agora Group has 6 sales branches in Belgium and 17 in France. In addition, there are purchasing branches in the Netherlands, France and Italy. This makes provisioning quick and efficient, which is a prerequisite for offering high-quality horticultural products.
The range of products is offered throughout the European Union. In Belgium and France, Agora delivers to florists, garden centres, franchise chains and other independent points of sale.
Agora wants to go beyond simply selling products and that is why every year it organises a few plant fairs, open days and action days. What’s more, florists can also attend workshops at the Agora Academy to take up the latest trends and techniques.
Wide range of top products
At Agora, professional clients will find a large and complete range of fresh cut flowers daily, a wide choice of indoor and outdoor plants and basic necessities. And all these products can immediately be taken with you.
70% of the fresh cut flowers come from auctions in the Netherlands. The range is supplemented with purchases from Belgian auctions as well as from Germany, the south of France and San Remo. Green and flowering plants are largely bought directly from growers above all in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and France, supplemented with products that are bought at Dutch auctions. And finally, the Mediterranean plants come from selected growers in Spain and Italy.
Agora is very selective in its choice of supplier. In addition, all the products delivered are checked by our own specialists on arrival. A second quality control occurs at the Cash & Carry.
Flexible transport & orders
The Agora Group have their own transport company with 15 lorries and various delivery vans, which makes them very flexible. And since the lorries are equipped with a cooling system and special measuring instruments, they transport their plants and flowers in ideal conditions, all year round.
Although horticulture is a sector in which it is important to physically experience the product, it is no longer conceivable without online sales. Ordering usually occurs via the web shop. But orders come in too by mail, telephone or via our new app. The app also keeps customers informed of trends and events. And with the built-in scanner, the client can read a barcode and immediately order the product with the app.
Agora L.I.F.E. Kortrijk
In April 2017, the Agora L.I.F.E. branch opened in Kortrijk. It is open for customers 24/7. L.I.F.E. stands for Live, Innovation, Future & Experience. With an access code and a scanner, they can make purchases outside normal opening hours under the watchful eye of a camera.
This makes it possible for the customer to plan his week perfectly with Agora offering the florist convenience. Teething troubles were resolved during the first six months and customers who are familiar with the system are very happy to use it.
The concept store revolves around experiencing, innovation and product knowledge. Customers can find new plants in the inspiration rooms every month depending on the latest trends and colours. The entire package can be purchased or you can select certain elements. Since this pilot project is showing such great results, the formula might be extended to other Cash & Carry stores of the Agora Group.
