Meiden System Solutions Corporation, a subsidiary of Meidensha Corporation (Meiden), installed and started operating a tele-bidding system for ornamental plants at Osaka Tsurumi Wholesale Flower Market*1 at the end of January.

Under the current coronavirus pandemic, online auction systems are attracting attention from people related to the business. Naniwa Hana Ichiba and JF Tsurumi Hanaki, both licensed wholesalers of the Osaka Tsurumi market, introduced the system to replace the conventional face-to-face bidding at the market with a complete online auction as part of efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This endeavor is the first of its kind among horticulture markets in Japan.

Meiden System Solutions headquartered in Numazu, Shizuoka Prefecture, has sold computerized bidding systems since 2001. It has already installed such systems at more than 20 wholesale markets around the country and is the biggest supplier*2 of them to the country’s floriculture wholesale markets.

Meiden System Solutions and the other companies under the Meiden Group continue to do their utmost to help customers update their business styles and reduce costs by making better proposals and developing better products to meet society’s changing needs. 

■Major merits of the system to producers and flower wholesale markets
– can create an auction site independent of time and geography, and easy to participate in
– can expect increased and stable shipping volumes by more brisk business and sales
– can reduce introduction and operation costs by transferring to online bidding
– can help improve traffic congestion on roads around the market, as successful bidders can pick up the merchandise at the market at their convenience.

■Major merits of auction participants
– no need for a special device, and can participate in bidding at any time and from anywhere using their own terminals
– can easily see 11 auctions on one screen, magnify product images, and place orders.
– can receive messages with an alarm tone and photos when favorited products arrive at the market


Screen for sellers


Screen for purchasers (Magnified view)

*1 Osaka Tsurumi Wholesale Flower Market is the biggest such market in western Japan and handles the second-largest volume. It has 12 wholesalers selling cut flowers, three selling potted flowers and plants and three selling related materials.
*2 According to a Meiden study. The clients rank among the top 50 of flower wholesale markets capable of introducing such a system in terms of volume they handle.

Press contacts:

Public & Investor Relations Division
e-mail: kouhou@mb.meidensha.co.jp