There’s a real Christmas tree for everyone who wants one!
Even after the busiest opening weekend in memory, with three weekends to go and a second wave of real Christmas tree shoppers headed out, talk of shortages is premature.
HOWELL, Mich., December 2, 2020 – Thanksgiving weekend brought out real Christmas tree shoppers across the country – including many first-timers – as shoppers sought out a pandemic-friendly opportunity to make early holiday memories with family and friends.
The big numbers were good news for retailers of real Christmas trees, including some limited-inventory locations who sold their entire stock in one weekend. But, that’s not entirely unusual for retailers with limited tree capacity, and it’s also not representative of the Christmas tree availability landscape as a whole. The good news for shoppers is there’s ample time to shop, more options for buying real Christmas trees than ever before, and more species to choose from than many realize.
“Many Christmas tree retailers of all types remain stocked with trees all around the country, even after a busy tree-buying weekend post-Thanksgiving,” said Marsha Gray, Executive Director, Real Christmas Tree Board. “Clearly, a lot of consumers were looking for a way to kick off their holiday memory-making early this year, but those still gearing up to go out will find plenty of trees to go around.”
Real Christmas trees are available at retail and seasonal tree lots, choose-and-cut farms, nurseries and garden centers, big box stores, and even at some grocery and hardware stores. You can even buy a real Christmas tree online.
“Call around before you shop and be open to new experiences,” Gray says. “You might even discover a new species that you love!”
To help shoppers find a real Christmas tree shopping option in their area, the Real Christmas Tree Board (RCTP) has debuted a new zip code-based retailer locator at realchristmastreeboard.com. An interactive map and search filters allow users to narrow the field by location and retail type. Also on the site: A new species guide to help introduce shoppers to types of trees they may not have considered previously.
Curious to learn more about what it takes to grow a real Christmas tree? TRUE FOOD TV explores just that in a brand new Christmas Tree episode of the award-winning web show “How Does it Grow?” You will learn that with an average growing time of seven years for a typical Christmas tree, farmers need to plan their crop years in advance. By purchasing a real Christmas tree each year, you help drive demand that ensures there will be a healthy supply of Christmas trees in the years to come.
Know Your Sources
- Established in 2015, the Real Christmas Tree Board (RCTP) is a national research and promotion program whose mission is to share the benefits of fresh Christmas trees with consumers through promotion and public relations, while engaging in research to better serve our customers and growers. The USDA provides oversight of the RCTB to ensure transparency and accuracy in its communications. This press release was developed and distributed by the RCTP.
- The National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA) is the national trade association representing the Christmas tree industry. NCTA represents more than 700 active member farms, 29 state and regional associations, and more than 4,000 affiliated businesses that grow and sell Christmas trees or provide related supplies and services. The NCTA represents the Real Christmas Tree community with one voice to protect and advocate on the industry’s behalf.
- The American Christmas Tree Association (ACTA) is a 501(c)(3) corporation run by CEO Thomas Harman.1 Harman is the founder of Balsam Hill, a seller of artificial Christmas trees.2 The majority of artificial Christmas trees are made overseas.3
SOURCES:
1 https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/displayCopyOfReturns.do?dispatchMethod=displayCORInfo&CopyOfReturnId=631785&ein=352342528&country=US&deductibility=all&dispatchMethod=searchCopyOfReturns&isDescending=false&city=&ein1=&postDateFrom=&
2 https://www.balsamhill.com/about-us
3 https://www.datamyne.com/blog/indicators/christmas-tree-imports-growers-come-short/