How to Choose the Perfect Holiday Tree: Factors to Consider
It’s customary to start looking for a Christmas tree the weekend after Thanksgiving.
This effort is always important, but you might need an added urgency to get the best this year.
Jami Warner, head of the American Christmas Tree Association in Sacramento, said, “If you want to wait until then, I would encourage making it happen that weekend and not waiting a minute longer.”
That Christmas is still happening is excellent news, I believe. Both genuine and artificial Christmas trees will be available to shoppers this year. Still, we urge them to get a jump on their shopping, whether online or in stores.
Warner and other experts claim that there is a Christmas tree shortage on the West Coast this year.
The shipment of artificial Christmas trees and decorations has been significantly delayed due to problems in the supply chain.
Mac Harman, founder and CEO of Balsam Hill, a Bay Area firm specializing in artificial Christmas trees, wreaths, and seasonal decor, says that the company has received roughly half of their stock and should have received the remaining 80 percent by now.
Both the amount and the variety have decreased. During a phone interview, Harman stated that just 60% of his company’s inventory was for sale, despite the fact that 100% was expected.
We may have 300 goods in by now if we have 500 to sell. To put it simply, that’s a formidable obstacle.
Reduced supply and increased demand
Customers are prepared to spend money on Christmas festivities. The National Retail Federation predicts that Christmas spending in 2021 will break records, increasing by between 8.5% and 10.5% over 2020 to between $843.4 billion and $859 billion. This is despite supply chain challenges and a shortage of personnel. And according to the federation, 2020 was a prosperous year with sales increasing 8.3 percent over 2018.
We all thought 2020 was a wild ride, but Harman thinks the following years will be even more exciting.
Warner stated in a separate phone conversation that the lack of available genuine trees grown in the Pacific Northwest is due to a combination of factors, including recent wildfires, dryness, and a lack of available truck drivers.
And Harman added that less Christmas tree farms were established in the years following the Great Recession of 2008, despite the fact that it takes 10 years for a Christmas tree to reach maturity.
“Growers would harvest somewhat smaller trees due to increasing demand, notably last year due to COVID. They were using the harvest of the following year as collateral. That has been maintained for the current year. So, you should expect to see trees that are little smaller than average on the market.
As reported by Fortune magazine, the average cost of a genuine tree in the year 2020 was $81. There were various fake trees recommended by Forbes for the year 2020 that cost less than $100, while others costed as much as $425.
Harman concurred with Warner’s recommendation to begin shopping early, but he added a proviso.
Arrivals are being made, and they are selling out quickly. The truth is that I believe there is a great deal more to come. So, it’s safe to assume that there will be some attractive discounts in the days leading up to Christmas.