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Poll WidgetChristmas Trees and the Economy
(Chesterfield, Mo.) – The National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA) recently
released results of Christmas tree purchases for the 2009 holiday season. The industry
group commissions an annual consumer tracking poll with Harris Interactive, Inc.
Poll results show that consumers in the U.S. purchased 28.2 million farm-grown
Christmas trees and 11.7 million artificial trees in 2009. Both figures are unchanged
from the previous Christmas season.
It was a tough year for some sectors of the economy, but both product categories saw
consumers spending more than they had the previous year on individual trees
purchased. Average amount spent on a farm-grown tree was $40.92 compared to
$77.01 spent on a fake tree. This is a 21% combined increase from the previous year.
“It’s hard to point to a specific cause for the increase,” said NCTA President Richard
Moore, a tree farmer from Groton, NY. “It’s definitely not a function of tree prices, at
least not the for the farm-grown trees. Final retail prices vary greatly and can be
influenced by many factors, both general and localized, including size of tree, species,
USDA grade, distance shipped, market demand, type of retailer ... even day of the
week.”
Industry experts point out that many factors can influence sales, including harvest
conditions, weather conditions, number of consumers traveling for the holidays and
even the number of days between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
“The good news for us family farms growing Christmas trees is the same poll asked
what they (respondents) plan to do for Christmas in 2010,” said Moore. “And 31% said
they planned to buy a farm-grown Christmas Tree, so we should be very busy this
year.”
It is estimated that Christmas tree farms in North America planted about 41 million new
tree seedlings in 2010 to replace harvested crops and meet future increased demand.
For more information, visit www.realchristmastrees.org.released results of Christmas tree purchases for the 2009 holiday season. The industry
group commissions an annual consumer tracking poll with Harris Interactive, Inc.
Poll results show that consumers in the U.S. purchased 28.2 million farm-grown
Christmas trees and 11.7 million artificial trees in 2009. Both figures are unchanged
from the previous Christmas season.
It was a tough year for some sectors of the economy, but both product categories saw
consumers spending more than they had the previous year on individual trees
purchased. Average amount spent on a farm-grown tree was $40.92 compared to
$77.01 spent on a fake tree. This is a 21% combined increase from the previous year.
“It’s hard to point to a specific cause for the increase,” said NCTA President Richard
Moore, a tree farmer from Groton, NY. “It’s definitely not a function of tree prices, at
least not the for the farm-grown trees. Final retail prices vary greatly and can be
influenced by many factors, both general and localized, including size of tree, species,
USDA grade, distance shipped, market demand, type of retailer ... even day of the
week.”
Industry experts point out that many factors can influence sales, including harvest
conditions, weather conditions, number of consumers traveling for the holidays and
even the number of days between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
“The good news for us family farms growing Christmas trees is the same poll asked
what they (respondents) plan to do for Christmas in 2010,” said Moore. “And 31% said
they planned to buy a farm-grown Christmas Tree, so we should be very busy this
year.”
It is estimated that Christmas tree farms in North America planted about 41 million new
tree seedlings in 2010 to replace harvested crops and meet future increased demand.
