Christmas tree sellers in the Saint-Louis area are seeing low supply and high demand. “Don’t go artificial,” says one. | Local company
Tom Steinwagner pulls out the nails holding the wreaths in the nearly empty Christmas tree lot at Joe’s Market Basket in Edwardsville. Christmas trees were particularly scarce this year, there were only 11 left for sale in the store, on Saturday December 11, 2021. Usually the store receives around 500 trees, but this year they have had less, and Thanksgiving weekend sold a lot. Photo by Hillary Levin, [email protected]
Dave and Cindy Johnson of Troy, Ill., Examine the small selection of wreaths in the nearly empty Christmas tree lot at Joe’s Market Basket in Edwardsville. Christmas trees were particularly scarce this year, there were only 11 left for sale in the store, on Saturday December 11, 2021. Usually the store receives around 500 trees, but this year they have had less, and the Thanksgiving weekend, when the Johnsons bought their tree, he sold a lot. Photo by Hillary Levin, [email protected]
Tom Steinwagner pulls out the nails holding the wreaths in the nearly empty Christmas tree lot at Joe’s Market Basket in Edwardsville. Christmas trees were particularly scarce this year, there were only 11 left for sale in the store, on Saturday December 11, 2021. Usually the store receives around 500 trees, but this year they have had less, and Thanksgiving weekend sold a lot. Photo by Hillary Levin, [email protected]
Jason Stevens, co-owner of Joe’s Market Basket stores in the eastern metropolitan area, explains his theory about the Christmas tree shortage this year. Her Edwardsville store started off with less than her usual 500 trees, but by the first weekend in December they were almost sold out. Video by Hillary Levin
RICHMOND HEIGHTS – As of Monday afternoon, the Garden Heights Nursery had only three small, table-sized Christmas trees in stock.
The Richmond Heights retailer ordered 100 more Christmas trees than usual this year – 550, up from 450. But customers were buying too early and too often to keep them in stock for long.
“We almost always sell full,†said Steve Roesch, nursery buyer and manager of trees and shrubs. “But the past two years have been exceptionally fast.”
Residents across the country, weary of the pandemic, yearning for low-risk outdoor activities, are hitting trees earlier this year, and in greater numbers, say lot owners, patrons and managers of the ‘industry. At the same time, extreme weather conditions and supply chain disruptions have reduced the overall supply of trees this season.
Buyers should expect less choice and higher costs – up to 30% more – for real and artificial trees this Christmas, industry officials said.
“It’s a double whammy – weather and supply chain issues are really hampering the industry,†said Jami Warner, executive director of the American Christmas Tree Association, an industry trade group. “Producers have been hit hard by floods, fires, smoke, drought and extreme weather conditions. “