For some consumers, the holiday season starts as early as October. Others, however, procrastinate in all areas – even when it comes to getting a Christmas tree. In fact, new research conducted for the Real Christmas Tree Board found that 4% of consumers wait until as late as the third week of December — and even Christmas Eve — to buy a Christmas tree.
The survey of 1,499 Americans adults (ages 21 to 54), fielded by True Global Intelligence, found that shoppers fall into six different segments based on when they buy their real Christmas trees:
- “Pre-Season Achievers” (before Thanksgiving) – 14%
- “Black Friday Checklisters” (during the weekend after Thanksgiving) – 33%
- “Seasonal Purists” (first week of December) – 33%
- “Mid-Decemberists” (second week of December) – 16%
- “Treecrastinators” (third week of December) – 3%
- “Christmas Eve Traditionalists” (on Christmas Eve) – 1%
Even “Treecrastinators” and “Christmas Eve Traditionalists” will still have plenty of options to consider when they decide to venture to tree farms, according to Marsha Gray, Executive Director of the Real Christmas Tree Board in a statement. “The industry didn’t run out of trees last year, the year before that, or any previous year. And we won’t run out of trees this year either.” In fact, 85% of shoppers surveyed said that when shopping for a tree last year, they found the one they wanted at the first location they visited.
Although some lots, nurseries or farms may have slim pickings, Gray noted that one location’s stock does not reflect the entire market: “Reports of challenges in any one area can be misleading, in the same way that it would be erroneous to assume that just because a restaurant in your neighborhood is out of fries, other restaurants around the country must also be out of them.” So although consumers may not be able to get the specific tree type they want, there will still be plenty of options for them to consider, according to Gray.
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