Packed at Source: How this innovative model helps improve efficiency

At The Flower Hub, we’ve spent years refining our Packed at Source model; a system designed to help our clients reduce waste, save on costs, and improve overall freshness and quality.

Why Packed at Source Works

Traditionally, flowers are shipped in bulk to their destination markets, where they’re unpacked, sorted, and then reassembled into retail bouquets. It’s a process that adds labour, time, and risk; every additional step creates more opportunity for handling damage, temperature fluctuation, or waste.

By packing bouquets directly on the farm, we cut out unnecessary middle steps. Flowers are harvested, sorted, and arranged immediately under controlled conditions. They’re then cooled, boxed, and shipped directly to you, ready for display or sale the moment they arrive.

For you, that means:

• Less waste — fewer damaged stems and handling losses.
• Lower costs — reduced labour and repacking expenses at destination.
• Better consistency — designs, stem counts, and quality are all managed right from the source.

Quality and Freshness from Field to Freight

Because everything happens on the farm, our teams can ensure that every stem meets our quality standards before it leaves Kenya. The flowers are kept in a continuous reliable cold chain from harvest to shipment, ensuring they retain their freshness, colour, and vase life.

Packing at source also helps maintain traceability, each bouquet can be traced back to the exact farm and batch it came from. This gives our clients confidence in the product and helps meet growing retailer requirements for transparency and sustainability.

Efficiency That Scales

Efficiency isn’t just about cost, it’s also about reliability. By packing on the farm, we reduce handling time and shorten the supply chain, helping flowers move faster and stay fresher.

Our clients tell us that this approach simplifies their operations in several ways:

• Reduced need for in-house bouquet assembly teams
• Streamlined logistics and invoicing
• Easier stock management with predictable bouquet volumes
• Consistent designs that meet brand and retail requirements

For many retailers and wholesalers, this means fewer moving parts, lower operating costs, and a smoother supply chain overall.

A Smarter, More Sustainable Choice

Packed at Source also supports sustainability. By minimising the number of handling points, we reduce waste, lower the carbon footprint associated with repacking facilities, and optimise transport space. Fewer stages mean fewer materials, less energy use, and a more efficient path from farm to customer.

And because we work with accredited growers who follow responsible farming and labour practices, you can be confident that every bouquet supports both quality and ethical sourcing.

Why It Matters

In today’s floral industry, efficiency and sustainability aren’t just nice-to-haves; they’re essentials. Retailers and wholesalers need reliability, predictability, and transparency. And that’s exactly what our Packed at Source model delivers.

It’s a simple idea, but one that changes everything: the closer we work to the source, the better we can protect the quality of your flowers and your bottom line.

Let’s Talk About Streamlining Your Supply

If you’d like to learn more about how Packed at Source can simplify your sourcing, reduce waste, and save on costs, our team would be happy to share examples and data from our existing retail and wholesale partners.

You can reach us at enquiries@theflowerhub.com or visit our website to find out more.