Buying a Christmas tree: short-term and less – salzburg.ORF.at
Business
The trend towards short-term Christmas tree purchases is becoming more and more popular, say Salzburg’s Christmas tree dealers. They are also seeing a drop in sales this year. The reasons for this are complex, and the industry is very difficult to assess.
For Christmas tree dealer Mathias Stolberg there are three reasons why this year’s sales figures are lower. “It’s no longer a lockdown, so people are traveling too. Then there is the increase in price – one also saves on so-called ‘superfluous’ goods such as Christmas trees. There are also competitors who are destroying the market for us with cheap goods,” says Stolberg.
market very difficult to assess
The market is also very difficult to assess, explained Stefan Lindner. He has been running a Christmas tree plantation in Seekirchen (Flachgau) for 60 years. For example, three years ago there were over 1,000 trees left. “We don’t know why – during the Corona period more people stayed, more trees were sold at home. But assessing the market correctly is difficult,” said Lindner.
Differences even between districts
According to Lindner, there are also differences between the districts when it comes to Christmas trees and their buyers. “We also run stands in Aigen and in Lehen – that’s a difference. In Aigen, people usually have more space and a garden and buy larger trees, and in Lehen the apartments are smaller and people have less space.” That also makes a difference when buying a Christmas tree.
Christmas trees “moderately” more expensive this year
Salzburg’s Christmas tree producers have raised the prices for Christmas trees this year. However, the price increase is deliberately below inflation – Christmas trees “moderately” more expensive this year (salzburg.ORF.at; 10.12.2022)