A Trim Business : Christmas Tree Dealers Cutting Down Prices to Light Up Sales
“As long as I can put a tree in every house and it doesn’t cost me money, I’ll do it,” Christmas tree lot owner Larry Cude says.
Cude’s philosophy, founded on a willingness to bargain and a transparent enjoyment of his lifelong trade, meant that last year--when the live Christmas tree business was in the dumps--Cude closed down his Pasadena lot a full four days before the holiday with only 16 of 6,000 trees unsold.
This year, Cude will have plenty of discount-pricing competition, from lots and farms as well as grocery stores and discount chains. Last year, many Christmas tree sellers were stung by a glut of trees and the Scrooge of recession, so many began this season with slimmed down operations and slimmer prices.
So far, it seems to be paying off. Customers are coming back, still looking for bargains but ready to buy. Retail lots and choose-and-cut farms throughout California are reporting heavy traffic so far and are hoping for even bigger sales today and tomorrow, typically the biggest weekend for fresh Christmas tree sales.
“Last year was really a bad year. The (retail lots) really ate up a lot of business,” said Esperanza Lyon, who with her husband, Bud, owns 11 choose-and-cut Lyon Christmas Tree Farms in the Los Angeles area.
“It seems better this year,” she said. “I hope so. We’ve cut prices from what we had 10 years ago.” Now, all trees on the Lyon farms sell for $24.95.
Tony Miali, whose City of Industry-based Tahoe Christmas Tree Co. expects to sell 30,000 trees this year--wholesale and retail, said people are buying trees because after so long in the economic doldrums, “they want something to celebrate this year.”
Miali, who this year cut back his retail lots to eight from 15, believes that by the end of the season, sales will have climbed back up to where they were two years ago. In 1991, many sellers reported sales down 10% to 15% from the year before.
Tree sellers are quick to point out that it is a cash business--and thus difficult to track. Yet it is certain that more real Christmas trees are sold in California than any other state; the California Christmas Tree Growers association estimates that the figure approaches $200 million annually.
Of Californians who buy Christmas trees, about 80% buy real trees, according to figures from the National Christmas Tree Assn. Real trees are more popular on the West Coast than in any other region. Californians buy trees grown locally and imported from Oregon and Washington state; in the three states combined, residents choose real trees 77% of the time. Nationally, the figure drops to 47%.
Included in the real tree category are living (uncut) trees, which have increased in popularity over the last decade, but still account for only 5% to 7% of all tree sales. While makers of artificial trees are promoting them as “environmentally friendly,” their competitors are stepping up efforts to encourage recycling of cut live trees.
Last year, 62% of real trees were recycled in the state, primarily through city- and county-sponsored pickups, said Ted Batkin, executive director of the California Christmas Tree Growers. Even more recycling programs are planned for this year, Batkin said. “It’s a natural evolution, for (the tree) to be ground up,” he said. “When it is ground up, it adds nutrients back to soil and improves the soil.”
Most tree sellers say their customers usually know what they want, though some will spend hours or days browsing for the right tree. At the Pasadena Pines farm in northeast Pasadena, co-owner Ted Johnson takes a week’s vacation from his job as vice principal of San Fernando Elementary School to help out his customers--most of whom come back year after year.
“This is the only business where everybody is in a good mood,” he said. “It’s unbelievable.”
Tree Tips
* Measure the space where the tree is to go before you shop, including ceiling height and the width of the area as well.
* At retail lots, ask where the trees were grown, when they were cut and when they were delivered.
* Check the tree’s main trunk; the straighter, the better.
* Don’t be afraid to negotiate. Most retail lots will bargain. Most choose-and-cut farms offer discounts or specials to repeat customers, so be sure to ask to be included on mailing lists so you’ll qualify next year. The bargains get better--but the choice slimmer--the closer it gets to Christmas.
* If you need special services, check at nurseries, choose-and-cut farms or retail lots. Most specialty tree sellers will put the tree into the customer’s own tree stand; many will deliver for a minimal charge. Some will even deliver and set up the tree; a few sellers will even select, cut, deliver and set up the tree.
* Ask for a fresh cut at the tree bottom; better yet, do it yourself at home. At least scrape any sap off--sap can seal the bottom even in the half-hour drive home. A fresh cut will allow the tree to drink water.
* If possible, let the tree acclimate overnight to the warmer house temperature before decorating.
* Keep watering the tree. Fresh trees can drink up to a gallon of water a day. Water level should be checked regularly.
* Stay-fresh tricks, such as putting an aspirin, needle-retention additives and even vinegar in the water, often do help. But don’t add sugar or honey.
* Most importantly, do a safety check. Keep the tree away from heating elements. Check the wiring of every light strand or special ornament: If there is any fraying at all, don’t use it. And, be careful not to overload your electrical outlets.
