Coronavirus pandemic border closures leads to live Christmas tree vendors selling out of stock
Christmas tree vendors around southeast Queensland have almost sold out of stock so if you want a real tree, get in quick.
QLD News
Don't miss out on the headlines from QLD News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
There is a scurry of commotion as the tree-laden B-double truck pulls up to the warehouse.
Any one of the 650 sold out pine trees on board could be about to go to the home of Chris Hemsworth – or to a regular family down the road – but they all get the star treatment.
Individually wrapped in netting to protect their needles on the trip up from Victoria, the trees are carried straight off the truck and popped down to be measured, watered and trimmed.
It takes about four hours for Mark Cameron and his 14 employees, from the Gold Coast Christmas tree outlet in Burleigh Heads, to offload, manicure and ensure the freshly cut trees are in perfect condition, ready to be collected by or delivered to excited families.
First, the pinus radiata trees – grown specifically for Christmas on a Victorian tree farm – are taken to a table where about 1cm off their trunk is shaved off before the plant is popped into a bucket of water and hosed down.
They are placed in their appropriate size categories, from young one metre trees in pots up to 2.4m tall pines.
But, the most popular 2.4m trees had sold out by mid-November, a sentiment echoed by other live Christmas tree vendors around southeast Queensland.
With about 97 per cent of orders made online throughout the year, Mr Cameron, 57, said he had ordered more than 2000 trees, up from 1650 last year.
The 2019 total was a record 25 per cent increase in sales over 2018.
The former Christmas tree farmer put it down the increase in demand of real trees to a combination of reasons, including his now 15-year-old business becoming better known in the area plus the coronavirus pandemic lockdowns and border closures meaning more people are staying home this year.
“People can’t go anywhere,” he said.
“I’ve had people say this is the first time in 14 years I’ve been in Australia for Christmas because I can’t go off skiing in Japan or Europe.”
“They want the real tree. They have a great smell, everyone mentions how good the smell is and a number of people say the reason they get a real tree is because it smells so beautiful.”
Mr Cameron said most of the trees were about 4 or 5 years old, and pruned about four times a year to ensure their Christmas tree shape.
He said, although people can visit the outlet, at 7 Taree St, Burleigh Heads, he doubted they would have any trees left by the week before Christmas, unless they were pre-ordered.
“People can’t just walk in and grab a tree … as this year there’s been a higher demand,” he said.
Trees start at $95 and go up to $850 for fully decorated, 2.4m versions, under the company’s gold service program.
On the Sunshine Coast, Amber Denny from Merry Christmas trees said their first shipment of pinus radiate trees also arrived from Victoria this weekend.
“We’re trying to get some more in, especially of the extra large (2.4m) trees, as they have sold out this year,” she said.
“It’s very popular this year I think in part because lots of people are staying home for Christmas … and want to make it extra special because of the type of year it has been.”
Ms Denny, 44, said about 1000 trees had been ordered this year.
Merry Christmas trees co-owner, Viktor Molhanec, said there had been a “huge spike” in online sales this year with about 80 per cent of their stock sold upfront.
Mr Molhanec, 42, who has operated the business with partner Jordanna Rosenbrock since 2009, said the seasonal shop was unique in that it was a pop-up Christmas tree shop.
“It’s a pop up shop in terms of it just pops up somewhere on the Sunny Coast,” he said.
“We find a shed for short term lease and sell the trees from there.
“We generally open on the last weekend in November and are open until Christmas Eve or until we sell out.”
This year, the trees will be available from Unit 3, 15 Page St, Kunda Park, in Buderim, from Sunday (NOV 29).
Mr Molhanec said part of the increased demand for real trees was simply because there were more now available.
“When we started in 2009, you could not buy farmed Chrissy trees on the Sunny Coast,” he said.
“The farmed trees are so beautiful and perfect, some people don’t believe they are real when they first see them.”
The trees start from $99 for a 1.5m tree and go up to $200 for a 2.4m tree.
All aboard: Brisbane Metro hits major milestone
More than one million passengers have used the Brisbane Metro services since the first route, the M2 from UQ to RBWH, launched in January.
‘Sickest I’ve ever been’: Plea for Queenslanders to get brand new virus jab
Vulnerable Australians aged 50 to 59 are being urged to take the opportunity to get vaccinated against a virus that has already seen 9266 Queensland cases reported this year.