The coronavirus pandemic has hit many business particularly hard this year, but one group of businesses is reportedly managing to exceed expectations this holiday season.
Christmas tree farms across Massachusetts and New England say they are having one of their strongest years ever, in spite of the pandemic, according to two recent reports.
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Maple Crest Farm in West Newbury, Massachusetts, is completely sold out of trees after last Friday and Saturday's sales alone, owner John Elwell told The Boston Globe. He said that the farm could cut more trees, but doing so would take away from next year's stock.
Approximately 27.4 million Christmas trees were sold across the country last year, according to Doug Hundley, spokesman for the National Christmas Tree Association. He told The Boston Herald this year's sales could “very possibly” top last year's total.
Hundley said part of the jump in sales this year is because people began buying their real Christmas trees before Thanksgiving, when the season typically begins on the weekend following the holiday.
David Morin, who owns Arrowhead Acres in Uxbridge, told the Herald he sold around 500 trees last season, but surpassed that number in his first weekend of sales this year. He noted that during a typical year, Arrowhead Acres is open only on weekends, but it has been operating seven days a week this season.
Hundley said the high demand for Christmas trees this year could be a result of people looking for a sense of normalcy or just looking to get out of the house. He also said people might feel safer since buying real Christmas trees is an outdoor activity.
