I put this in MPSIMS because I am certain that there are some places where they are put on sale, like a guy in the Appalachians who cuts them down in the back 40 and sells them up front along the road. He has cut them down, and they are surely worth more at $10 on Christmas Eve rather than as mulch a few days later. My question is why don’t commercially grown trees sold in more regulated circumstances ever go on sale? Don’t the same economic rules apply?
I ask because this year I was going to be without kids until later in December, and while I decorated the house, spending $40 on a real tree seemed like a wasteful expense. I found out later that my kids were bringing friends and their parents to our late X-Mas celebration, so I thought I’d pick one up at the last minute for cheap. Nope.
The stores kept bringing in fresh product right up until the end, and even on Christmas Eve they were still at full price at the grocery store. On the day after Christmas there was no indication there had ever been any trees there. All cleaned and swept with nary a needle remaining.
I checked the private lots on Christmas Eve and even asked for a last minute deal but was told no dice. They were reluctant (actually refused) to answer my question as to why this was.
I have a couple of ideas, but I thought I’d ask for more feedback first. Maybe someone here has run a lot before.
Too little too late, but my friend and I were talking on the 26th, he said on Christmas Eve when he left work here, he stopped at Home Depot to get a last minute something or other. As he walked in the door he was asked if he wanted a Christmas tree for free. Took him by surprise enough that he told me about it while we were talking catching up on how Christmas went for us.
They do. One bad year, we didn’t go for a tree until the evening of the 23rd. The guy had a LOT of trees left. He offered me a nice one for $10 (about $20 off); I countered with $5, and he whispered, “okay, but be quiet because there are other buyers on the lot…”
According to this article Xmas tree demand was heavier than expected in 2013, but it notes that late discounts were available from some retailers anyway.
There are major sales advertised now for artificial trees (which can be recycled by retailers from year to year, unlike the real thing), so it makes no sense for sellers of real trees to refuse to drop their prices at the end of the season.
Maybe there’s a high percentage of idiots in the business in the OP’s location.
The tree sellers don’t want to encourage people to shop at the last minute for the tree. Deliver one fresh tree or twenty to a supermarket costs the same amount (gas in the truck, etc).
If people know there will be fresh trees for sale on Christmas eve, at a discount, then they will wait to buy it, and sell fewer in the week before Christmas at full price. Charge full price Christmas Eve, and you avoid this problem. Once the cost of the shipping the trees to the store is recouped, then they may discount them.
Here to confirm that sometimes the Christmas tree sellers are willing to negotiate if you wait until the last minute to get a tree. My mom waited until a few days before Christmas to get our tree on a few occasions and was able to get them to knock the price down. She was always a very adept haggler though which may have had something to do with it.
On the 26th Wal-mart was selling trees for $1.00. Thinking about moving christmas to the
29th and no one is allowed to shop until the 26th. On the 26th, buy a $1 tree and 75% off decorations, spend the day decorating and shop on the 27th and 28th, wake up Christmas morning on the 29th. Money saved! What could go wrong?
It’s a somewhat different situation, but sellers of ornamental plants (perennials, shrubs, trees) commonly discount them toward the end of the season, with major price slashing by mid-fall or so. Still, some places resist discounting at all (I vividly remember a couple such nurseries that responded to my making a lower price offer as though I was an antisocial degenerate for doing so).
Usually there are plenty of outlets that either cut prices or are willing to entertain haggling.
I’ve routinely bought trees at half price. But it’s a tricky game.
I used to most of the time go to the big nursery near us about 6 days before Xmas. (And then as a backup is nothing cheaper was available.) All trees half price and a good selection. Then last year, I went there and the gates were locked, the sign was gone. They had gone out of business! (Thank you big box stores.)
I went to WalMart (big boxes win again), where I had bought a tree once at half price. Sold out. Went to the Boy Scout lot where I got a tree once really cheap (but not so great, 2nd to last viable one), they were closed up. Ended up paying full price.
This year I just went and bought a regular discount tree.
Something happened last year and continued this year with tree supplies here.
I did buy a tree for $2 once back in grad school on Xmas eve.
Cheap trees are out there just before Christmas, usually. Maybe.