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The reason for this year's Christmas tree shortage
Expect higher prices for Christmas trees at local stands this year as supply is way down.
ATLANTA - Christmas tree shoppers are dealing with some sticker shock this holiday season.
Supply chain issues have hit the industry hard across the country, with some tree prices up as much as thirty percent compared to last year, according to one analyst.
"We are lucky to get what we’ve got," said Clee Atkinson, who manages Big John’s Christmas Trees’ Ainsley Mall location.
Atkinson said he’s been in the business of Christmas for 56 years. He said virtually every tree seller has been impacted by supply chain and trucking issues.
"We didn’t have any choice," Atkinson said. "The growers raise their price, trucking doubled in price."
He said they had to hike prices by about 10 to 20 percent. The trees Big John’s sell come from all over North America, as far as Canada.
Making matters worse, a series of natural disasters caused by climate change has slowed or destroyed the growth of trees.
Atkinson said on top of the lack of supply, there has been a surge in demand.
"I think because of the pandemic, people that normally don’t buy bought," he said. "People that have been shut in said, let’s go have some fun and buy a Christmas tree."
Until they sell their last tree, Big John’s has several stands across the Atlanta area, as they have for 71 Christmases prior.
If you still haven’t got yours, Atkinson recommends getting out sooner rather than later.
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