Leading French florist to open in UK

The first branch opens in South Kensington on 26 September, in partnership with Laurent Amar, chief executive of the Monceau Fleurs Group.

The Monceau Fleurs brand has 125 shops in France, more than double its nearest competitor, and is targeting its UK expansion over the next five years.

The business has grown from sales of €5m in 1999 to over €120 million euros today.

In 2003, Laurent Amar, the grandson of the founder, took over ownership of the Monceau Fleurs business from the Rothschild group.

It sells around 147m flowers and plants in France each year and claims the average spend at its stores is eight times greater than the average spend across French florists.

According to the group, London was chosen as the next location since the UK flower market is €1bn euros bigger than the French market, although the population is the same. And, it claims there is a growth potential of 5% per annum in the UK.

The UK florist market is the second largest in Europe, after Germany, with 60% of sales through supermarkets.

Monceau Fleurs credited its success to 'democratic pricing'. In the UK, bouquets will start at £3. The group said the store will offer the largest selection of flowers and plants in the UK, with exclusive and innovative blooms that will not be available elsewhere.

Monceau Fleurs claims to have cut out all of the middlemen and is the only florist with its own broker at the flower 'stock exchange' in Holland.

Half of Monceau Fleurs stock is purchased directly from growers worldwide.