It may cost you more money to get that Christmas tree this year
PHOENIX - Along with presents, Christmas trees may also cost consumers more money this year, with some reports show prices may be up by 20%.
Environmental and economic factors are to blame for that costlier tree. As far as getting an artificial Christmas tree, problems start at the ports. For the real thing, droughts and wildfires are to blame.
"If you’re buying a tree that's been grown for 10 years for $200, there’s a lot of transportation, a lot of work in pruning, maintaining and growing that tree," said Brian Blake with Whitfill Nursery.
Blake says one of his suppliers in California lost his entire farm in a fire, and suppliers in Oregon dealt with hot temperatures and drought conditions. Blake says they are doing their best to secure a full stock of trees. As far as exactly how much more they may cost, it is too early to tell.
"We're yet to see what our transport costs are going to be this year, but our California, LA shipments are double, so we went from $1,200 a truck to $2,400 now. So, the Christmas trees are still untold until we’re actually moving the trees down, but we expect shipment for trees to about double this year," said Blake.
Trees arrive at Whitfill right before Thanksgiving, and will go on sale at all of their locations the day after Thanksgiving. Blake says if the tree is taken care of properly, it will last until the new year.
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