For more than fifty years, all hobbyists, hardened professionals and all other creative people from Groningen have known where to find the Van Beek/Flokstra store. The store has been a household name in the city since the 1970s and has built a strong bond with the local art scene in that time. The Flokstra couple retired in 2019 and the store has since been taken over by Van Beek Art Supplies. Apart from the couple themselves, all the familiar faces of the former Flokstra employees can still be found in the store. We spoke with branch manager Joke Vos.
How long have you been working at Van Beek/Flokstra and how did you end up here?
“I have been working here for eighteen years now. I graduated from Academie Minerva as a visual artist and since then I have done various things such as graphic work and running the exhibition space Kunstruimte 09. Initially I worked two days a week in the store as a store employee and now I am a full-time branch manager. Here you often work with colleagues who have a similar background in the visual arts. The art sector is a very mixed professional practice and many of our clients are also colleagues and friends. This diversity also makes it a fun sector to work in.”
What does an average day look like for you?
“First I check my mail and then I see what needs to be done that day. For example, there are fixed orders per week for product groups of which we sell a lot, and we sometimes have to reorder them twice a week. Then I book in all the stuff that came in that day. In particular, there are many organizational things that have to be done one day. For example, I prepare customer orders and there are other activities such as stretching canvases or cutting mats.”
Have many things changed over the years? Do people buy different things now than they did eighteen years ago?
“You see that especially the interest in pencils and markers has grown enormously compared to other products. But one of the biggest trends in recent years has been adult coloring books. You are also currently noticing the influence of YouTube and influencers. In their videos you see a lot of products that you can only find on the American market and because of that it is sometimes difficult for us to convince a customer of a comparable product that has the same quality and just doesn't have the name.”
What makes the store so popular in Groningen?
“I think it's because we have a lot of products and always do our best to think along with the customer and provide them with good advice. Many of our colleagues all have their own specialties and so we can advise people well. For example, we have two colleagues who recently graduated from the Classical Academy and who can, for example, provide you with good information about the more traditional materials and techniques. Then there are other colleagues who each know a little more about photography, miniature work or have more affinity with the creative materials.
Personally, I have a broad knowledge of materials from painting, graphics and a lot of affinity with various materials. This allows me to provide advice to people with completely different interests. And furthermore, as colleagues, we learn a lot from each other by simply listening along while we work.”
Despite the fact that Van Beek Art Supplies took over the store in 2019, the majority of the store still looks the same. Have things changed since Flokstra was taken over?
“The biggest change there has been is that inventory management has been automated. Despite the fact that we are now a branch and no longer an independent company, we still have a lot of freedom to meet the needs of our customers. Fortunately, we have built up a regular customer base over the years and they all just kept coming despite the takeover.
At the moment we are mainly making minor changes. For example, there are a lot of products on the ground floor and people tend to linger there. To promote more flow to the other floors, we are trying to set up the store differently.”
Will the store still bear the Flokstra name?
“The store is currently called Van Beek/Floksta. At the time of the takeover, it has been established that the store will bear the name Flokstra for some time to come, after which it will simply be Van Beek, Groningen. The takeover is now two-and-a-half years ago, so the Flokstra name will officially disappear within a while. Although I personally think that the name will remain in popular speech for a long time to come.”
Note: This article has been translated using Google Translate