Christmas trees will (also) cost more this year

Christmas is sure to be especially expensive this year. In addition to the increase in the price of gifts and various necessary accessories for festive tables, it will also be necessary to spend more for a traditional Christmas tree, which will cost 10 to 15 percent more than last year. We are talking about distribution costs, which are increasing all over the world. The price of wooden pallets has increased by 30%, and in general there is a significant increase in packaging and distribution products. Transportation costs have also skyrocketed, and the heavier the tree, the more expensive it is. Then of course some of the more complex trees will cost a bit more than the classic trees. On these higher class trees there will be an average growth of 5 to 15%. But in general, the price of classic trees will increase by 10-15 percent compared to last year “, he explains Figaro Frédéric Naudet, Director of Naudet Nurseries and President of the French Natural Christmas Tree Association.

Local producers are the most affected by this price increase. This is the case of Les Sapins du Sud producer Daniel Guyro. We can’t increase the price of distribution, because otherwise they won’t buy us anymore. I already have a 30% drop in my sales compared to in-store sales», he is worried. Buying a Christmas tree every year is already a tradition that has a tendency to recede. This applies to only one in five households (up from 24% in 2008 to 22.5% in 2020), according to Kantar research published in April 2021. More than half of the French have an artificial tree. Will this price increase be prohibitive for some? “Costs go up everywhere, but since it’s Christmas, I’m willing to put in the extra effort. Maybe I’ll buy a smaller tree after all“, he trusts Figaro Claude, 40-year-old father.