Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Amazon will sell live, seven-foot Christmas trees this year


In a sign of how far Amazon’s shipping operation has come, the company will be selling and delivering seven-foot Christmas trees to customers this holiday season. And yes, they’ll be eligible for Prime shipping.

According to The Associated Press, Amazon will start selling the trees sometime in November, letting buyers pick between Douglas firs, Norfolk Island pines, and other options. A seven-foot Fraser fir (sourced from a North Carolina farm) will go for $115.

The trees will ship in a large box, but Amazon isn’t including water or anything extra in there. Apparently, each tree will be sent out within 10 days of being cut down, so the company expects they’ll make it through the shipping process just fine before eventually drying out and dying in your home a few weeks later — all in the name of holiday cheer.

Amazon actually sold smaller live Christmas trees in 2017, but this marks the first time the online retail giant will offer full-sized trees. Wreaths, garlands, and other holiday items will also be sold, with Amazon giving customers the option to choose a convenient delivery date when they’ll be around to receive the items.

Someone from the National Christmas Tree Association — yes, that’s a thing — told the AP that the association isn’t concerned about online competition; consumers overwhelmingly like the tradition of going out and picking their own fresh tree. Web orders accounted for something between 1 and 2 percent of the 27 million trees sold last year. But in some future remake of A Christmas Story, the family might just order their tree with Alexa instead of going out to get one. This is the world we’ve created.

No comments:

Post a Comment