Christmas Tree Prices Not Affected By Fuel Cost Increase

Final retail prices vary greatly and can be influenced by many factors, both general and localized, including species, grade, distance shipped, market demand, type of retailer, etc. With the wide array of entities selling Christmas Trees, from choose and cut farms to non-profit groups, to independent retail lots, to garden centers, to box stores, consumers who want to price shop on a tree can find many options.

“Our current increase on fuel surcharges equates to about sixty dollars per one thousand miles on each fifty-three foot trailer,” said Ron Hudler, a grower in North Carolina. “We get on average seven hundred trees on a trailer that size, so it equals about eleven cents per tree. And we’re getting many more inquiries from trucking companies and brokers who want to haul trees, so we’re getting good deals on freight charges overall.”

Consumers in many locations begin purchasing Christmas trees the weekend after Thanksgiving and early reports from growers throughout North America indicate a good harvest means they’ll have high-quality trees from which to choose. In 2006, consumers reported spending a mean average of $40.50 on their tree. -