There is no question that the events of 2020 impacted consumer buying cycles and the resulting retail supply chain. One area which did not escape change was sales of Christmas trees as market leaders, Premium Christmas Trees highlight through record sales and accessories driving up the average basket spend.
With the nation confined to their homes Premium Christmas Trees saw the start to the buying cycle occur much earlier, as people looked to enjoy as much festive cheer as possible by adding decorations and trees to their home many weeks before they traditionally would. This extended sales period, supported by an increase demand to fulfil online orders, helped the company to achieve record sales, increasing by 25% year-on-year.
It wasn’t, however, solely the extended sales period which contributed to Premium Christmas Trees’ record year. Consumers were also going bigger, looking for larger, high-ticket tree types to help pack a punch when it came to adding Christmas décor to their homes.
Sales of accessories such as wreaths and garlands – including Premium Christmas Trees first range of bespoke wreaths, designed in-house by its festive design experts – soared as consumers embraced all aspects of decorating their interiors, with the desire to make all corners of the home a winter wonderland helping to drive up the average basket spend and increase repeat custom for retailers.
Premium Christmas Trees also reported that online sales trebled, placing significant pressure on the supply chain. As a result, the team has confirmed that it will be redesigning the entire harvest and packaging process to ensure that the team are prepared for the inevitable demand ahead of Christmas 2021. Premium Christmas Trees’ Sophie Holt commented: “We have been fulfilling online orders for many years, but we had never seen anything like this. As such, we are using the next nine months to update and streamline our processes to ensure that we can better service this demand.”
The events of 2020 also encouraged consumers to make more responsible and sustainable choices. For many, pot grown trees represented the opportunity to move away from artificial trees and help to reduce the reliance on harmful plastics, whilst also enabling them to enjoy their Christmas tree for years to come through careful plant management. Whether positioned outside or adorning porches these trees will, for many, be a reminder of a year where Christmas meant more than ever.
In addition to the rising popularity of pot grown trees, consumers were asking more questions about the provenance of their trees, with UK-grown trees very much the preferred choice.
A look to Christmas 2021
So, what does this all mean for Premium Christmas Trees? The company’s spokesperson, Sophie Holt, said: “We have learnt so much from the last festive period; learnings which can put to good use to help retailers drive sales even further in 2021. For example, we will be introducing split deliveries over a two week period to enable trees to be displayed at maximum freshness throughout the longer sales period, whilst for those retailers that want to maximum early sales we will be encouraging stocking of the Fraser Fir which is famed for its low needle drop.”
Additional updates to the Premium Christmas Tree offering will include access to an unrivalled portfolio of pot grown trees which offer solutions for all spaces and budgets, the development of a wider selection of wreaths and garlands, as well as increased marketing activity to help to tell the story of tree care, provenance and sustainability, providing consumers with renewed confidence at the point of sale. Helping our customers explain the provenance and sustainability story of their real Christmas trees will be key.
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.
ENDS
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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
Find out more
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.