Christmas Trees Will Cost More This Year, But No More Than Shoppers Expected
With inflation hitting every corner of Americans’ lives, it’s no surprise that even Christmas trees will cost more this year. But this is not deterring consumers from buying them, and people are ready to shell out the extra dollars.
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A survey by The Real Christmas Tree Board (RCTB) found that a whopping 71% of tree growers cited a likely wholesale price increase of 5% to 15% compared to last year. Meanwhile, only 11% of respondents anticipated increasing their wholesale prices by a smaller amount — up to no more than 5% over last year.
In addition, another 11% of tree farmers expect to increase their prices between 16% to 20% more than last year, and 5% expect their price increase to hit 21% or more.
The survey also found that the top concern among tree growers was supply issues, with 44% of those polled saying as much. This concern was followed by the impact of inflation on consumer spending (35%), and labor availability and cost (21%).
Americans Plan To Buy Christmas Trees Despite Inflation
Despite the price hikes, Americans are ready and willing to spend more for a Christmas tree this year. Indeed, according to a survey by Trees.com, more Americans plan to buy real Christmas trees this year as compared to last year — and nearly one in five (18%) are willing to pay $200 or more for their Christmas tree.
“While our grower survey tells us wholesale prices are likely to be higher for real Christmas trees this year, our consumer survey tells us people expected as much,” Marsha Gray, executive director of the RCTB, said in a press release. “The good news is fans of real Christmas trees say they believe the trees are worth the price and they are willing to pay more this year if necessary to get one — and that’s not a surprise either.”
In addition, 62% of those polled say that having a Christmas tree is very important to them.
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Zack DeAngelis, founder of Tree Journey, told Trees.com that while — in some cases — it’s worth it to pay the increased prices for Christmas trees, it isn’t always necessary.
“For those looking to get a real Christmas tree from a farm, I recommend asking if there’s any discount for cutting or wrapping the tree yourself,” he said. “The farm will most likely have certain trees that haven’t grown well and are less desirable. These can cost even less, which can help you save more if you’re in a pinch.”
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