Commercial collaboration
Fresh Colombian carnations for mothers, Dutch roses for lovers, Italian live plants for nature enthusiasts – these beautiful live plants and fresh flowers from abroad can now be ordered online and delivered swiftly to your doorstep the next day through Temu. Flowerbox, a Straubing based florist, partnered with online shopping platform Temu to make this possible as Temu celebrates two years in Europe.
Flowerbox offers everything from live plants to fresh flowers to decorative packaging. As one of the first local sellers on Temu, Flowerbox now brings these exotic plants and flowers directly to German customers.
Want to sell on Temu too?
When Flowerbox first listed their first product on Temu as a test, their expectations were modest. But the results were startling, as hundreds of products were sold in two months, accounting for one-third of their online sales.
“This was purely organic traffic,” Flowerbox CEO Stefan Friedrich said. “We didn’t run any promotions but we have achieved this.”
Thanks to the initial success through Temu, this is now an exciting time for Friedrich, who sees the online shopping platform as a way to connect with a wider audience the business didn’t have before.
“We missed early opportunities on previous platforms, and we don’t want to repeat that mistake,” he added.
Flowerbox, well known in central Europe for its wide and elegant floristic assortment, always felt they had missed the boat by not joining an online shopping platform early to tap into a new market’s potential. Instead, they were consistently competing with their rivals in established arenas, trying to stand out. This all changed when Temu stepped into the picture with its 17 million monthly users in Germany.
“Just as location is vital for offline stores, choosing the right digital platform is equally important online. Temu has rapidly become a platform consumers genuinely enjoy visiting,” Friedrich said.
To the beginning of this journey
Flowerbox’s origins can be traced to a decade ago in 2015, when Friedrich made the fateful decision to acquire a small vertical gardening company specializing in decorative wall plants.
“Initially, we never thought we’d expand beyond this niche,” Friedrich said.
An unexpected wave of customer requests at a trade show led Flowerbox to expand their range with more products, and after early experiments online quickly sold out, Friedrich immediately realised the potential of e-commerce, and why Flowerbox needed to be online.
Today, Flowerbox operates a 7,500-square-meter warehouse as well as a local store, capable of distributing throughout Europe from their home base of Straubing, located just northeast of Munich.
Flowerbox’s competitive edge lies in direct relationships with producers, sourcing plants and flowers directly from farms—reindeer moss from Ireland, roses from the Netherlands, and other specialty floristic products —as well as premium fertilizers from Straubing. Their close relationship with its producers ensures customers can always get the best freshness, quality, and competitive pricing, vital for the competitive online space.
Furthermore, Friedrich understands that e-commerce can be tricky, and has been keeping a sharp eye on consumer trends, while also noticing that his employees have also personally started using Temu a lot more.
“I observed our staff regularly using Temu, with growing frequency. It’s clearly popular among consumers,” Friedrich said.
Positive early experiences on Temu
As early as 2024, Friedrich started looking at Temu extensively before the launch of the online shopping platform’s new local-to-local model, which connects local merchants to local customers.
By joining Temu early, Fredrich was able to boost Flowerbox’s visibility to customers and earn their loyalty. While the decision came with some hurdles, such as technical requirements and complying with Temu’s strict guidelines, Flowerbox’s CEO found it an overall positive experience.
“Temu’s onboarding and compliance processes are extremely rigorous—more thorough than other major platforms. Their detailed scrutiny of certifications, documentation, and safety records gave us confidence,” Friedrich said.
“I see Temu as a platform committed to long-term growth in Europe.”
Customers have also been very positive of the shopping experience on Flowerbox’s Temu store, with all of the reviews on its online shop exceeding four stars.
Leveraging strengths for future growth
Looking ahead, Friedrich is excited about the growth opportunities despite Temu’s local-to-local model still being in the early stage. Flowerbox will rely on its strong connections to its local suppliers and logistic capabilities to stand out.
“Our strategy involves steadily expanding our product range on Temu, ensuring rapid delivery, and maintaining high quality to quickly build a loyal customer base,” Friedrich said. “Eventually, we hope to sell across all of Europe and beyond through Temu.”
In the end, having more competition can lead to innovation in the e-commerce space, and Flowerbox’s CEO hopes more European businesses can look for opportunities to grow with online shopping platforms such as Temu.
“Competition is beneficial. It drives innovation, benefits customers, and rewards businesses proactively embracing new platforms,” Friedrich said.
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