The mourning flower market - France

The mourning flower market covers all flowers purchased in connection with the death of an individual. They are often intended for the deceased's relatives, the funeral or the cemetery in which he or she is buried. This market brings together a number of players, including producers, wholesalers, specialist stores and funeral services. The European market for flowers and ornamental plants accounts for a large proportion of global consumption. The Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Denmark are the biggest consumers, relative to the number of inhabitants. In the floriculture market, the cut flower segment is predominant, followed by the live plant segment. Emerging countries are playing an increasingly important role in cut flower production, thanks to favourable climatic conditions, aggressive pricing policies and progress in terms of transport (particularly by sea). In addition, the geographical expansion of production and the development of logistics solutions, in particular long-distance transport capacities, are the main factors driving the flower market. The majority of French cut flower imports come from the Netherlands, even if their production may have taken place in another country (Africa, South America). Although the primary market for mourning flowers is that for flowers and plants themselves, it is also linked to the funeral services market. The funeral services market provides the link between the deceased's loved ones and the services required for the funeral (florist, mayor, place of worship, marble maker, etc.). Given today's demographic trends in France, the market for funeral services, and therefore for mourning flowers, is very dynamic and is set to flourish in the years to come .