Following record sales of real Christmas trees in 2020, Premium Christmas Trees – a leading grower of environmentally supported Christmas trees – is helping garden retailers to understand the latest evolution in consumer buying trends and how they are set to impact sales this festive season.
As a passionate grower of Christmas trees, Premium Christmas Trees is working hard to ensure that its 2021 trees are as good as they can be, to ensure that customer satisfaction is guaranteed, whilst also helping to communicate the hard work and effort that has gone into growing every tree. This knowledge helps to add an extra element of magic to the buying experience and as the tree takes centre stage in the home.
Trial pallets make it easy to offer more choice
One area of development that Premium Christmas Trees is expecting to shape 2021 sales is the newly introduced trial pallets for cut trees. Whilst Nordmann Firs remain the most popular style, consumers are looking to retailers to provide more choice and these trial pallets enable garden centres to offer a wider variety without having to commit to large stock holding, essentially testing the waters of what appeals most to customers.
Slimline trees perfect for smaller homes
The Slimline Nordmann Fir proved to be a popular choice in 2020 and Premium Christmas Trees expect this trend to continue in the coming season. A great choice for first-time purchasers of real trees, or for those where space is at a premium, the Slimline Nordmann is 30% narrower than its namesake thanks to specialist attention that is required to produce these trees. Those retailers that have taken the time to tell this story, supported by Premium Christmas Trees’ video and dedicated point of sale, have been able to successfully charge a premium for these unique trees.
The importance of provenance & sustainability
Premium Christmas Trees believe that educating customers about their trees’ ‘story’ is helping to drive customer loyalty and repeat sales. More than ever, consumers are wanting to know the provenance of their products and often reach for those that have a strong story and environmental credentials, with a passionate team behind them. To help retailers with this, Premium Christmas Trees has produced recyclable A5 leaflets (including bespoke retailer details inclusion when the minimum order quantity is reached) with complete care instructions clearly outlined on one side and the story of a tree on the reverse. Initial feedback regarding these leaflets has been extremely positive.
Sitting alongside provenance is the question of sustainability. Sustainability has become a more prominent factor in customer buying decisions in recent years and, as a result, Premium Christmas Trees has looked at its entire operation to make things as sustainable as possible, and in turn are helping retailers tell that story to their customers.
The demand for more sustainable options has certainly driven the popularity of pot grown trees. Sales of these pot grown trees have trebled already in 2021, with some customers even asking for them in the spring so they can plant in their gardens.
New varieties driving demand
In response to consumer needs for something more specialist and unique, Premium Christmas Trees will also be placing more emphasis on its Korean Fir and Fraser Fir trees. These varieties offer a unique twist on the traditional tree and have proven particularly successful when sold via online platforms.
The Fraser Fir has been around in the UK for some time and is loved for its narrow, full shape and wonderful fragrance. Premium Christmas Trees source its Fraser Firs specifically from a remote part of Scotland that is hard to access with machinery, but the ground is perfect for growing this variety, meaning they require very little human intervention in the growing process.
The Korean Fir, by comparison, is a more recent arrival in the UK but is already making a name for itself. The tree’s popularity is due to its full shape, lovely scent and its ability to suit smaller spaces. Korean Firs also enjoy a softer needle and very strong needle retention, making them great for those making their first foray into living trees in the home. The inclusion of cones and a blueish colouring to the underside of branches, coupled with an extremely careful growing and handling process, are also helping to increase the popularity of this tree amongst the Instagram generation. Premium Christmas Trees predicts a bright future for Korean Firs in the UK in coming years and is urging retailers to get ahead of the curve now to ensure they are offering something different.
Online sales continue to thrive
As online sales reach record highs, including sales of festive wares, Premium Christmas Trees report that requests to fulfil online orders continue to echo this trend. From Christmas trees to a bespoke range of handmade wreaths – successfully launched in 2020 – the company confirm that demand has surged with early orders coming in their drove as garden centres attempt to get ahead of the Christmas madness.
Find out more
For more information regarding Premium Christmas Trees’ 2021 offering, please visit www.premiumchristmastrees.com or call the team on 01257 793748 to discuss your tree requirements. There is also a dedicated team of sales experts who can be in touch or come to visit retailers nationwide.
Fraser Fir Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Gv5SArYx8Q
Slimline Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQIhTQpEGic&t=11s
Pot Grown Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWd3skuSl5g&t=3s
ENDS
Words: 892
For more information, interviews or images please contact:
Kimberley Hornby, Premium Christmas Trees PR Team, Hornby Whitefoot PR
Tel: 07851 610573 Email: kimberley@hornbywhitefootpr.co.uk
Notes to editors
Premium Christmas Trees is an independent family-run business that has been growing and supplying premium British-grown Christmas Trees to retailers across the UK since 2012. All the trees are grown on farms in Scotland, a country renowned for premium and sustainable Christmas trees.
Premium Christmas Trees’ dedicated team of growers ensure that the trees are individually cared for by hand until harvest. Then using a stringent grading system, Premium Christmas Trees select the best range of trees from each of its farms and cut them as late as possible to maximise the freshness and aid needle retention.
Premium Christmas Trees sells thousands of trees every year to a wide variety of retail outlets, ranging from garden centres, nurseries and farm shops, to high street department stores throughout the UK. The company’s services range from supply of Christmas Trees to fulfillment of online orders and gift product direct to the consumer.